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