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