....-~^%%£                                          £%%^~-....
...-~^%%£@                                          @£%%^~-...
..-~^%%£@#                                          #@£%%^~-..
.-~^%%£@##                                          ##@£%%^~-.
..-~^%%£@#                                          #@£%%^~-..
...-~^%%£@ 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.              ^~-.......
......-~^%                                          %^~-......
.....-~^%%                                          %%^~-.....
....-~^%%£                                          £%%^~-....
...-~^%%£@                                          @£%%^~-...
..-~^%%£@#                                          #@£%%^~-..