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