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