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