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