,-«^†††###                                          ###†††^«-,
,-«^†¤####                                          ####¤†^«-,
,-«^†¤####                                          ####¤†^«-,
,,,,,«††##                                          ##††«,,,,,
,,-«^†¤¤¤#                                          #¤¤¤†^«-,,
,,,,-^†¤## 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.               #¤¤†«,,,,,
,-«^†¤####                                          ####¤†^«-,
,-«^†¤####                                          ####¤†^«-,
,,,«««†¤##                                          ##¤†«««,,,
,-«^†¤####                                          ####¤†^«-,
,-«^†¤####                                          ####¤†^«-,