§§¨§¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨§§¨§¨¨
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§                                          ¨¨¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§ 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.               ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§