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