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