¨.-*&&#### ####&&*-.¨
¨¨.-*&&### ###&&*-.¨¨
¨¨¨.-*&&## ##&&*-.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.-*&&# #&&*-.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.-*&& &&*-.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.-*& 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. ###&&*-.¨¨
¨¨¨.-*&&## ##&&*-.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.-*&&# #&&*-.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.-*&& &&*-.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.-*& &*-.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.-* *-.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨