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