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