¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«                                          «.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«^                                          ^«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.«^=                                          =^«.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.«^=§                                          §=^«.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.«^=§#                                          #§=^«.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.«^=§#£ 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.               ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«                                          «.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«^                                          ^«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.«^=                                          =^«.¨¨¨¨¨¨