¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~==                                          ==~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~==$                                          $==~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~==$§                                          §$==~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~==$§#                                          #§$==~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~==$§##                                          ##§$==~¨¨¨
¨¨~==$§### 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.              ###§$==~¨¨
¨¨¨~==$§##                                          ##§$==~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~==$§#                                          #§$==~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~==$§                                          §$==~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~==$                                          $==~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~==                                          ==~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨