&&&&&,,,,,                                          &&,&&&,&,&
,,,,&,,,,,                                          ,&&,,&&&&,
,,,&&,,,,&                                          &,&,&,,,&,
,,&,&,,,&&                                          &&&&&,,&&,
,&&&&,,&,,                                          ,,,,&,&,&,
&,,,&,&&,, 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.               ,,&&&&&&&&
&,&,&&,&,,                                          ,&,,,,,,,,
&&&&,&&&,&                                          &&,,,,,,,&
,,,&&,,&&,                                          ,&,,,,,,&,
,,&,&,&,&,                                          &&,,,,,&&,
,&&&&&&&&,                                          ,&,,,,&,&,