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