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