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