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