§¨§¨§¨¨§§¨                                          §¨§¨¨§§¨§§
¨§§§§§¨§¨§                                          §§§§¨§¨§§¨
¨§¨¨¨¨§§§§                                          §¨¨¨§§§§¨§
§§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§§
¨¨¨§¨¨§§¨¨                                          §§§¨§§¨¨§¨
¨¨¨§§¨§¨§¨ 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.              §¨§¨§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          §§§§§§¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨§§¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          §§¨¨¨¨§¨§§
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨§§§¨
¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          §¨§§¨¨§¨¨§