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