#@£$^=~~,, ,,~~=^$£@#
##@£$^=~~, ,~~=^$£@##
#@£$^=~~,, ,,~~=^$£@#
@£$^=~~,,, ,,,~~=^$£@
£$^=~~,,,, ,,,,~~=^$£
$^=~~,,,,, gray skies, swirling with soot. stony ,,,,,~~=^$
^=~~,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,~
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
~,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,~
~~,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,~~