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