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