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