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