........~«                                          «~........
.........~                                          ~.........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.........~ 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.               @@†«~.....
....~«†@@@                                          @@@†«~....
...~«†@@@#                                          #@@@†«~...
..~«†@@@##                                          ##@@@†«~..
.~«†@@@###                                          ###@@@†«~.
..~«†@@@##                                          ##@@@†«~..