#¨#¨#¨¨¨##                                          ###¨¨##¨#¨
######¨¨#¨                                          #¨¨#¨#¨###
¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨##                                          ##¨#####¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨###¨                                          #¨##¨¨¨¨#¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨#                                          ¨##¨#¨¨¨##
#¨¨¨¨¨##¨# 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.              ##¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨
#¨¨¨¨#¨¨##                                          #¨#¨¨¨##¨¨
##¨¨¨##¨#¨                                          ¨###¨¨#¨#¨
#¨#¨¨#¨###                                          ##¨¨#¨####
¨###¨###¨¨                                          ¨¨#¨###¨¨¨
¨#¨¨##¨¨#¨                                          #¨###¨¨#¨¨