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