....^»†%£&                                          &£%†»^....
.....^»†%£                                          £%†»^.....
......^»†%                                          %†»^......
.......^»†                                          †»^.......
........^»                                          »^........
.......^»† 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.              £%†»^.....
....^»†%£&                                          &£%†»^....
...^»†%£&@                                          @&£%†»^...
..^»†%£&@#                                          #@&£%†»^..
.^»†%£&@##                                          ##@&£%†»^.
..^»†%£&@#                                          #@&£%†»^..