..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.........~                                          ~.........
........~«                                          «~........
.......~«/ 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.              @&*^/«~...
..~«/^*&@#                                          #@&*^/«~..
.~«/^*&@##                                          ##@&*^/«~.
..~«/^*&@#                                          #@&*^/«~..
...~«/^*&@                                          @&*^/«~...
....~«/^*&                                          &*^/«~....