¨&¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨ &&¨&¨¨&&¨&
&&&¨¨¨¨&&¨ &¨&&&¨&¨&&
¨¨¨&¨¨¨&¨& ¨&&¨¨&&&&¨
¨¨¨&&¨¨&&& &&¨&¨&¨¨¨&
&¨¨&¨&¨&¨¨ ¨¨&&&&&¨¨&
¨&¨&&&&&&¨ 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. &&&¨¨&¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨&&&¨&¨& ¨¨¨&¨&&¨¨¨
¨¨¨&¨¨&&&& ¨¨¨&&&¨&¨¨
¨¨¨&&¨&¨¨¨ &¨¨&¨¨&&&¨
¨¨¨&¨&&&¨¨ &&¨&&¨&¨¨&
&¨¨&&&¨¨&¨ ¨¨&&¨&&&¨&