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