«:........                                          ........:«
/«:.......                                          .......:«/
%/«:......                                          ......:«/%
&%/«:.....                                          .....:«/%&
§&%/«:....                                          ....:«/%&§
@§&%/«:... 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.               .......:«/
%/«:......                                          ......:«/%
&%/«:.....                                          .....:«/%&
§&%/«:....                                          ....:«/%&§
@§&%/«:...                                          ...:«/%&§@
#@§&%/«:..                                          ..:«/%&§@#