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