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