«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. $ . . ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«=
$=«.¨¨¨¨¨¨ . . = THE SLUDGE HAS BEEN SAMPLED, = . . ¨¨¨¨¨¨.«=$
%$=«.¨¨¨¨¨ . . «     ENTERTAINED, AND THEN    « . . ¨¨¨¨¨.«=$%
¤%$=«.¨¨¨¨ . . .      FINALLY BINGED ON.      . . . ¨¨¨¨.«=$%¤
#¤%$=«.¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨                              ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨.«=$%¤#
##¤%$=«.¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨.«=$%¤##
###¤%$=«.¨         AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES         ¨.«=$%¤###
##¤%$=«.¨¨           AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE           ¨¨.«=$%¤##
#¤%$=«.¨¨¨       STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND        ¨¨¨.«=$%¤#
¤%$=«.¨¨¨¨       ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL,        ¨¨¨¨.«=$%¤
%$=«.¨¨¨¨¨               LIKE CORPSES.              ¨¨¨¨¨.«=$%
$=«.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.«=$
=«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«=
«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨