¨¨,===\%%§ §%%\===,¨¨
¨,=\=%§@## ##@§%=\=,¨
¨,=\=%§@## ##@§%=\=,¨
¨¨,,,====§ §====,,,¨¨
¨¨¨¨,==\%@ @%\==,¨¨¨¨
¨,=\=%§@## 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. @%===,¨¨¨¨
¨,=\\=%§@# #@§%=\\=,¨
¨,=\=%§@## ##@§%=\=,¨
¨,=\=%§@## ##@§%=\=,¨
¨,=\=%§@## ##@§%=\=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨====§ §====¨¨¨¨¨