###&$$;-.¨ ¨.-;$$&###
###&$$;-.¨ ¨.-;$$&###
###&$$;-.¨ ¨.-;$$&###
#&$$$$;-.¨ ¨.-;$$$$&#
#$$$$-.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.-$$$$#
##&&$$;-.¨ 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. ¨.-;$$&###
###&$$;-.¨ ¨.-;$$&###
###&$$;-.¨ ¨.-;$$&###
###&$$;-.¨ ¨.-;$$&###
&$$;;.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.;;$$&
##$$$$;-.¨ ¨.-;$$$$##