¨¨§§§¨¨¨§§                                          §¨¨¨¨§§¨§¨
¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨§¨§§§
§¨§§¨§§¨§§                                          ¨§§¨¨§§§¨¨
§§§¨§§¨§§¨                                          §§¨§¨§¨¨§¨
§¨¨§§¨§§¨§                                          ¨¨§§§§§¨§§
¨§¨§¨§§¨§§ 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.               §¨¨§§§¨¨§§
¨¨§§§¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨§¨¨§¨§¨
¨¨§¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨§§§§¨§§§§
§¨§§¨§¨¨§¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨§§¨¨¨
§§§¨§§§¨§§                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨§¨¨
§¨¨§§¨¨§§¨                                          §§¨§¨§§§§¨