@¨¨@@@¨¨@¨                                          ¨¨@@¨¨@¨¨@
@¨@¨@@¨@@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨@@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨@@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@@¨ 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.              ¨@¨@¨@@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨@@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨@@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨¨@¨@¨