¨¨¨,-;%§§#                                          #§§%;-,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,-;%§§                                          §§%;-,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,-;%§                                          §%;-,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,-;%                                          %;-,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-;                                          ;-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,- 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.              §§%;-,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,-;%§                                          §%;-,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,-;%                                          %;-,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-;                                          ;-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-                                          -,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨