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