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