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