###@¤§\~:. .:~\§¤@###
##@¤§\~:.. ..:~\§¤@##
###@¤§\~:. .:~\§¤@###
##@¤§\~:.. ..:~\§¤@##
###@¤§\~:. .:~\§¤@###
##@¤§\~:.. 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. ..:~\§¤@##
###@¤§\~:. .:~\§¤@###
##@¤§\~:.. ..:~\§¤@##
###@¤§\~:. .:~\§¤@###
##@¤§\~:.. ..:~\§¤@##
###@¤§\~:. .:~\§¤@###