#@#&*%\»-¨ ¨-»\%*&#@#
#@#&*%\»-¨ ¨-»\%*&#@#
##@&*%\»-¨ ¨-»\%*&@##
#@#&*%\»-¨ ¨-»\%*&#@#
&%\-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-\%&
#*%\\»»--¨ 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. ¨-»\%*&#@#
&**%%»»--¨ ¨--»»%%**&
&&%%»-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-»%%&&
###&*%\»-¨ ¨-»\%*&###
#*%%\--¨¨¨ ¨¨¨--\%%*#
@#**%\\»-¨ ¨-»\\%**#@