¨#¨##¨¨¨¨#                                          ##¨¨#¨¨##¨
¨###¨#¨¨¨#                                          #¨#¨##¨#¨#
##¨¨###¨¨#                                          ¨####¨####
¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨#                                          ##¨¨¨##¨¨¨
¨¨####¨###                                          #¨#¨¨#¨#¨¨
¨¨#¨¨¨##¨¨ GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING  WITH  SOOT.  STONY ¨###¨####¨
¨¨##¨¨#¨#¨ GROUND  WITH  NO  HINTS  OF  VEGETATION. ¨#¨¨##¨¨¨#
#¨#¨#¨####                                          ###¨#¨#¨¨#
¨######¨¨¨ BELOW  THE   SURFACE   ARE  THE   MINES, ¨¨¨#####¨#
##¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨ SPIRALING  DOWN  INTO THE  CRUST.  SMALL ¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨##
¨¨#¨¨¨¨##¨ COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS  THEY EVENTUALLY #¨¨##¨¨¨#¨
¨¨##¨¨¨#¨# REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE  IS ¨#¨#¨#¨¨##
#¨#¨#¨¨### HIGHER  DOWN HERE,  AND THE  VIEW IS NOT ¨######¨#¨
######¨#¨¨ AS  MONOCHROME:  A  GREEN LIGHT  BECKONS ¨#¨¨¨¨¨###
¨¨¨¨¨¨###¨                FROM BELOW.               ¨##¨¨¨¨#¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨#                                          ¨#¨#¨¨¨##¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨##¨# LONG AGO, THERE WAS  A LIFEFORM HERE. IN ¨####¨¨#¨#
#¨¨¨¨¨#¨## THE CENTER OF  THE PLANETOID,  SOMETHING ¨#¨¨¨#¨###
¨#¨¨¨¨###¨ DORMANT,  WAITING FOR  A  COLLISION WITH ###¨¨###¨¨
¨##¨¨¨#¨¨# ANOTHER  BODY.   BUT   NO   PLANET   WAS #¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨
¨#¨#¨¨##¨# REACHED,  AND  OVER  TIME,  THE SEEDLING ¨#¨####¨##
#####¨#¨##             BECAME A SLUDGE.             ####¨¨¨##¨
#¨¨¨¨####¨                                          #¨¨¨#¨¨#¨#
¨#¨¨¨#¨¨¨# AND  ELVES  CAME   AS  MINERS,  AND  THE ##¨¨##¨###
###¨¨##¨¨#            SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED.           #¨#¨#¨##¨¨
#¨¨#¨#¨#¨#                                          #######¨#¨
##¨####### ######################################## ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨###
¨¨##¨¨¨¨¨¨ #                                      # ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨
¨¨#¨#¨¨¨¨¨ # #@#@@@#@####################@#@@@#@# # ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨##¨
¨¨####¨¨¨¨ # @                                  @ # #¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨#
#¨#¨¨¨#¨¨¨ @ @ @###^#^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^#^###@ @ @ ¨#¨¨¨¨¨###
¨###¨¨##¨¨ # @ @                              @ @ # ¨##¨¨¨¨#¨¨
¨#¨¨#¨#¨#¨ # @ @   THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED,  @ @ # ¨#¨#¨¨¨##¨
¨##¨###### @ @ #      PREPARED FOR LAUNCH,    # @ @ #####¨¨#¨#
##¨##¨¨¨¨¨ ^ # #   IGNITION SEQUENCE STARTED  # # ^ #¨¨¨¨#¨###
¨¨##¨#¨¨¨¨ = # #    HOURS AGO. ELVES IN THE   # # = ¨#¨¨¨###¨¨
¨¨#¨###¨¨¨ = ^ #   PASSENGER CABIN, NOT YET   # ^ = ###¨¨#¨¨#¨
¨¨###¨¨#¨¨ = = #   SEATED. BUT SOMETHING IS   # = = ¨¨¨#¨##¨##
#¨#¨¨#¨##¨ = = @   WRONG. THERE IS SOMETHING  @ = = #¨¨###¨##¨
####¨###¨# - - ^   GREEN AROUND THEIR MOUTHS. ^ - - ¨#¨#¨¨##¨#
¨¨¨¨##¨¨## - - = THE SLUDGE HAS BEEN SAMPLED, = - - #####¨#¨##
#¨¨¨#¨#¨#¨ - - =     ENTERTAINED, AND THEN    = - - ¨¨¨¨¨####¨
##¨¨###### - - -      FINALLY BINGED ON.      - - - #¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨#
¨¨#¨#¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨                              ¨ ¨ ¨ ##¨¨¨##¨¨#
#¨####¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨#¨¨#¨#¨#
¨##¨¨¨#¨¨¨         AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES         ¨¨##¨#####
##¨#¨¨##¨¨           AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE           ¨¨#¨##¨¨¨¨
#¨###¨#¨#¨        STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND       #¨###¨#¨¨¨
###¨¨#####       ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL,        ¨##¨¨###¨¨
#¨¨#¨#¨¨¨¨               LIKE CORPSES.              ¨#¨#¨#¨¨#¨
##¨####¨¨¨                                          #######¨##
¨¨##¨¨¨#¨¨                                          #¨¨¨¨¨¨##¨
¨¨#¨#¨¨##¨                                          ##¨¨¨¨¨#¨#
#¨####¨#¨#                                          #¨#¨¨¨¨###
¨##¨¨¨####                                          ¨###¨¨¨#¨¨