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