,.»/§%@¶@# #@¶@%§/».,
,,,,»/%@@@ @@@%/»,,,,
,,,,,./%@@ @@%/.,,,,,
,.»/§%@@## ##@@%§/».,
,.»/§%@¶@# #@¶@%§/».,
,.»/§%@¶@# 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. @§/»,,,,,,
,.»/§%@¶@# #@¶@%§/».,
,.»/§%@@## ##@@%§/».,
,.»/§%@¶@# #@¶@%§/».,
,.»/§%@¶@# #@¶@%§/».,
,.»/§%@¶@# #@¶@%§/».,