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