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