¨¨¨¨¨~†**@ @**†~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~=†%*¤@## ##@¤*%†=~¨
¨~=†%*¤@## ##@¤*%†=~¨
¨~=†%*¤@## ##@¤*%†=~¨
¨~=†%*¤### ###¤*%†=~¨
¨¨¨~=%**¤# 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. @@*%%%†=~¨
¨~=†%*¤@## ##@¤*%†=~¨
¨~=†%*¤@@# #@@¤*%†=~¨
¨~=†%*¤@## ##@¤*%†=~¨
¨¨¨¨¨=†*¤¤ ¤¤*†=¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨===†*¤@ @¤*†===¨¨¨