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