¨¨##¨¨#¨#¨                                          ¨¨#¨¨####¨
¨¨#¨#¨####                                          #¨##¨#¨¨¨#
#¨#####¨¨¨                                          ###¨###¨¨#
¨##¨¨¨¨#¨¨                                          #¨¨##¨¨#¨#
##¨#¨¨¨##¨                                          ¨#¨#¨#¨###
¨¨###¨¨#¨# 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.              ¨##¨¨##¨¨¨
¨##¨#¨#¨##                                          ##¨#¨#¨#¨¨
¨#¨######¨                                          #¨#######¨
¨###¨¨¨¨¨#                                          ¨##¨¨¨¨¨¨#
##¨¨#¨¨¨¨#                                          ##¨#¨¨¨¨¨#
¨¨#¨##¨¨¨#                                          ¨¨###¨¨¨¨#