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