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