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