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