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