¨¨¨¨¨&&&¨¨ ¨¨¨¨&&¨¨¨¨
&&&&¨¨&¨¨& &&&¨¨¨¨&&&
&&&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ &&¨¨&&¨¨&&
&&¨¨&&&&&¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&
&¨¨¨¨&&&¨¨ &&&&&&&&¨¨
¨¨&&¨¨&¨¨& 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. &¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&
¨¨¨¨¨¨&&¨¨ ¨¨&&&&&&¨¨
&&&&&¨¨¨¨& ¨¨¨&&&&¨¨&
&&&&¨¨&&¨¨ &&¨¨&&¨¨¨¨
¨&&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&&¨
¨¨¨¨&&&&&& &&&&&&¨¨¨¨