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