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