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