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