¨§§§¨¨§¨§¨                                          §¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
§¨¨§¨§§§§¨                                          §¨¨§¨¨§¨§§
§¨§§§¨¨¨§§                                          §¨§§¨§§§¨¨
§§¨¨§¨¨§¨§                                          §§¨§§¨¨§¨§
¨§¨§§¨§§§§                                          ¨§§¨§¨§§§¨
§§§¨§§¨¨¨¨ 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.               §§§¨§§¨§§§
§§§¨§¨¨§¨§                                          ¨¨§§¨§§¨¨§
¨¨§§§¨§§§¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
¨§¨¨§§¨¨§¨                                          §§§¨§§§§§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§§§                                          ¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨
¨§§§§§§¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨§¨¨¨§§§