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