¨-~;=$#@@# #@@#$=;~-¨
¨¨¨-;;;$$@ @$$;;;-¨¨¨
¨-~;=$#@@# #@@#$=;~-¨
¨-~;=$###@ @###$=;~-¨
¨-~;==$$#@ @#$$==;~-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-~=# 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, ##$;;;--¨¨
¨¨¨¨-;==#@ like corpses. @#==;-¨¨¨¨
¨-~;=$#@@# #@@#$=;~-¨
¨-~=$#@@## ##@@#$=~-¨
¨¨¨¨--;$## ##$;--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=# #=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-;;;==# #==;;;-¨¨¨