¨¨¨¨¨.«/%&                                          &%/«.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.«/%                                          %/«.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.«/%&                                          &%/«.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.«/%&#                                          #&%/«.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.«/%&#£                                          £#&%/«.¨¨¨
¨¨.«/%&#£# 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.              #&%/«.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.«/%&                                          &%/«.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.«/%                                          %/«.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.«/%&                                          &%/«.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.«/%&#                                          #&%/«.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.«/%&#£                                          £#&%/«.¨¨¨