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