##..#...##                                          .#......#.
###..#..##                                          ..#.......
#.##..#.#.                                          #..#......
..###.....                                          .#..#.....
..#.##....                                          ..#..#....
....###... 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.               ....###...
...###....                                          ....#.##..
...#.##...                                          #.....###.
.....###..                                          ##....#.##
#....#.##.                                          ###.....##
##.....###                                          #.##....#.