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