,,,~~/§££# #££§/~~,,,
,,,,~~/§££ ££§/~~,,,,
,,,~~/§££# #££§/~~,,,
,,~~/§££## ##££§/~~,,
,~~/§££### ###££§/~~,
,,~~/§££## 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. ££§/~~,,,,
,,,~~/§££# #££§/~~,,,
,,~~/§££## ##££§/~~,,
,~~/§££### ###££§/~~,
,,~~/§££## ##££§/~~,,
,,,~~/§££# #££§/~~,,,