¨¨¨¨¨¨,«^*                                          *^«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«^                                          ^«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«                                          «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.              ^«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«                                          «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨