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