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