;»-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-»;
=;»-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-»;=
&=;»-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-»;=&
¤&=;»-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-»;=&¤
¶¤&=;»-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-»;=&¤¶
#¶¤&=;»-¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨-»;=&¤
&=;»-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-»;=&
=;»-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-»;=
;»-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-»;
»-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-»
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-