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