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