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