..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.........-                                          -.........
........-~                                          ~-........
.......-~/                                          /~-.......
......-~/† 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.              †/~-......
.....-~/†£                                          £†/~-.....
....-~/†£@                                          @£†/~-....
...-~/†£@#                                          #@£†/~-...
..-~/†£@##                                          ##@£†/~-..
.-~/†£@###                                          ###@£†/~-.