#¨#¨¨#¨###                                          ¨#¨####¨#¨
####¨###¨¨                                          ¨###¨¨¨###
¨¨¨¨##¨¨#¨                                          ¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨¨
¨¨¨¨#¨#¨##                                          ¨##¨##¨##¨
¨¨¨¨#####¨                                          ##¨##¨##¨#
#¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨# 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.              ¨¨¨#¨¨#¨##
¨¨¨#¨¨####                                          ¨¨¨##¨###¨
¨¨¨##¨#¨¨¨                                          #¨¨#¨##¨¨#
#¨¨#¨###¨¨                                          ##¨###¨#¨#
¨#¨###¨¨#¨                                          #¨##¨¨####
####¨¨#¨##                                          ¨##¨#¨#¨¨¨