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