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