@%////,,¨¨ ¨¨,,////%@
###@$%/-,¨ ¨,-/%$@###
@@%%-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-%%@@
#@$$/,,,¨¨ ¨¨,,,/$$@#
###@$%/-,¨ ¨,-/%$@###
@@%/-,¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨,-/%$$$@#
@$%%----,¨ ¨,----%%$@
###@$%/-,¨ ¨,-/%$@###
###@$%/-,¨ ¨,-/%$@###
@$/-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-/$@
###@$%/-,¨ ¨,-/%$@###