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