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