¤==«-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-«==¤
==«-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-«==
=«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«=
«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-