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