.......... ....&&..&.
&&&&&&&&&& &&&.......
.&&&&&&&&& &&..&&&&&.
..&&&&&&&& &....&&&..
&..&&&&&&& ..&&..&..&
....&&&&&& 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. .&&..&&&&&
....&&&..& ......&&&&
.&&..&.... .&&&&..&&.
.......&&. ..&&......
&&&&&&.... &....&&&&&
&&&&&..&&& ..&&..&&&&