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