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