$*/~,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,~/*$
*/~,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~/*
/~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~/
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.               ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~/*
/~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~/
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
/~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~/