†*~:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:~*†
%†*~:,,,,, ,,,,,:~*†%
¤%†*~:,,,, ,,,,:~*†%¤
#¤%†*~:,,, ,,,:~*†%¤#
@#¤%†*~:,, ,,:~*†%¤#@
#@#¤%†*~:, 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. ,,,,,,,,,:
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
:,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,:
~:,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,:~
*~:,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,:~*
†*~:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:~*†