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