§§§.§..§§§                                          §.§§§§.§..
.§§.§.§.§§                                          §..§§§.§.§
..§.§.§..§                                          §.§.§§.§.§
.§§.§.§.§§                                          §.§..§.§.§
..§.§.§..§                                          §.§.§§.§.§
.§§.§.§.§§ 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.               §.§..§.§.§
..§.§.§..§                                          §.§.§§.§.§
.§§.§.§.§§                                          §.§..§.§.§
..§.§.§..§                                          §.§.§§.§.§
.§§.§.§.§§                                          §.§..§.§.§
..§.§.§..§                                          §.§.§§.§.§