¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨##                                          #¨¨###¨#¨¨
¨¨¨##¨¨#¨#                                          #¨#¨¨###¨¨
¨¨#¨#¨####                                          ###¨#¨¨#¨¨
¨#####¨¨¨#                                          ¨¨###¨##¨¨
#¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨                                          ¨#¨¨##¨#¨¨
#¨¨¨##¨##¨ 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.              ##¨##¨¨¨¨#
#¨##¨#¨¨#¨                                          ¨##¨#¨¨¨#¨
##¨###¨##¨                                          #¨###¨¨###
¨##¨¨##¨##                                          ##¨¨#¨#¨¨¨
#¨#¨#¨##¨#                                          ¨#¨####¨¨¨
######¨###                                          ###¨¨¨#¨¨#