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