¨¨@¨@@¨¨@@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
¨@@¨¨@¨@¨@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@¨¨                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@¨@¨@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@¨¨                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@¨@¨@ 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.              @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@¨¨                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@¨@¨@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@¨¨                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨¨@¨@¨@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@¨¨                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@¨