*:=-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=:*
:=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=:
=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=
:=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=:
*:=-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=:*
@*:=-¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨-=:*@@@
#@@@*:=-¨¨ ¨¨-=:*@@@#
##@@@*:=-¨ ¨-=:*@@@##
#@@@*:=-¨¨ ¨¨-=:*@@@#
@@@*:=-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-=:*@@@
@@*:=-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-=:*@@