¨¨¨¨¨¨-«=% %=«-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«=%* *%=«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«=%*& &*%=«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«=%*&¶ ¶&*%=«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«=%*&¶# #¶&*%=«-¨¨
¨-«=%*&¶## 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. ##¶&*%=«-¨
¨¨-«=%*&¶# #¶&*%=«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«=%*&¶ ¶&*%=«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«=%*& &*%=«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«=%* *%=«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-«=% %=«-¨¨¨¨¨¨