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