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