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