@¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨ @¨¨@¨¨@¨¨@
@@¨¨¨@¨@@¨ ¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨@
¨@@¨¨¨¨@@@ ¨¨@¨¨@¨¨¨@
¨@@@¨¨¨@¨@ ¨¨¨@¨¨@¨¨¨
¨@¨@@¨¨¨¨@ ¨¨¨¨@¨¨@¨¨
¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨@ 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. ¨@¨@@¨¨¨@@
@@¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨ ¨¨¨@@@¨¨@¨
@@@¨¨¨¨¨¨@ ¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨
@¨@@¨¨¨¨¨¨ @¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨
¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨¨ @@¨¨¨@¨@@¨
¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨¨ ¨@@¨¨¨¨@@@