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