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