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