=~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~=
^=~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~=^
%^=~^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^~=^%
£%^=~^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^~=^%£
@£%^=~^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^~=^%£@
@@£%^=~^¨¨ 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.               ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~
=~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~=
^=~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~=^
%^=~^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^~=^%