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