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