........-*                                          *-........
.........-                                          -.........
........-*                                          *-........
.......-*†                                          †*-.......
......-*†§                                          §†*-......
.....-*†§¶ 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.               ##¶§†*-...
..-*†§¶###                                          ###¶§†*-..
...-*†§¶##                                          ##¶§†*-...
....-*†§¶#                                          #¶§†*-....
.....-*†§¶                                          ¶§†*-.....
......-*†§                                          §†*-......