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