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