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