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