.,,«//%$¤@                                          @¤$%//«,,.
.,«/%%$$¤@                                          @¤$$%%/«,.
.,«/%$¤@##                                          ##@¤$%/«,.
.,«/%$¤@@@                                          @@@¤$%/«,.
.......«%¤                                          ¤%«.......
.,«/%$¤@## GRAY SKIES,  SWIRLING WITH  SOOT.  STONY ##@¤$%/«,.
.,«/%$¤@## GROUND  WITH  NO  HINTS  OF  VEGETATION. ##@¤$%/«,.
.,«/%$¤@##                                          ##@¤$%/«,.
.,«/%$¤@## BELOW   THE  SURFACE   ARE  THE   MINES, ##@¤$%/«,.
......,«%¤ 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       ##@¤$%/«,.
.....,«%%¤        ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL,       ¤%%«,.....
......««%¤              LIKE CORPSES.               ¤%««......
.,«/%$¤@##                                          ##@¤$%/«,.
..,«««/$¤@                                          @¤$/«««,..
.,«/%$¤@##                                          ##@¤$%/«,.
.,«/%$¤@##                                          ##@¤$%/«,.
....«%%%$@                                          @$%%%«....