......-«;%                                          %;«-......
.......-«;                                          ;«-.......
......-«;%                                          %;«-......
.....-«;%@                                          @%;«-.....
....-«;%@§                                          §@%;«-....
...-«;%@§@ 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.              ;«-.......
......-«;%                                          %;«-......
.....-«;%@                                          @%;«-.....
....-«;%@§                                          §@%;«-....
...-«;%@§@                                          @§@%;«-...
..-«;%@§@#                                          #@§@%;«-..