@¨¨@@@@¨¨@                                          ¨@¨@¨¨@¨¨@
@¨@¨@@@¨@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨@@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@@¨@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨@@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨ 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.              ¨@¨@¨@@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨@@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨@@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨¨@¨@¨