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