$*=-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=*$
&$*=-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-=*$&
#&$*=-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-=*$&#
##&$*=-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-=*$&##
###&$*=-¨¨ ¨¨-=*$&###
####&$*=-¨ GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ¨-=*$&####
###&$*=-¨¨ GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ¨¨-=*$&###
##&$*=-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-=*$&##
#&$*=-¨¨¨¨ BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ¨¨¨¨-=*$&#
&$*=-¨¨¨¨¨ SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ¨¨¨¨¨-=*$&
$*=-¨¨¨¨¨¨ COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=*$
*=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. - - - ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=
*=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=*
$*=-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=*$
&$*=-¨¨¨¨¨ AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES ¨¨¨¨¨-=*$&
#&$*=-¨¨¨¨ AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE ¨¨¨¨-=*$&#
##&$*=-¨¨¨ STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND ¨¨¨-=*$&##
###&$*=-¨¨ ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ¨¨-=*$&###
####&$*=-¨ LIKE CORPSES. ¨-=*$&####
###&$*=-¨¨ ¨¨-=*$&###
##&$*=-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-=*$&##
#&$*=-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-=*$&#
&$*=-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-=*$&
$*=-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=*$