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