¨¨@@¨@@@¨@ @¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨
¨@¨@@¨¨@@¨ @¨¨¨@¨¨@¨¨
@@@¨@¨@¨@¨ @¨¨@@¨@@¨¨
¨¨@@@@@@@@ @¨@¨@@¨@¨@
¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ @@@@¨@@@@@
@@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@ 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. ¨@¨¨¨¨¨@@¨
¨@@¨@@¨¨@@ @@¨¨¨¨@¨@@
@¨@@¨@¨@¨@ ¨@¨¨¨@@@¨@
@@¨@@@@@@¨ @@¨¨@¨¨@@¨
¨@@¨¨¨¨¨@¨ ¨@¨@@¨@¨@@
@¨@¨¨¨¨@@¨ @@@¨@@@@¨@