##¶&$§^~~, ,~~^§$&¶##
#¶&$§^~~,, ,,~~^§$&¶#
¶&$§^~~,,, ,,,~~^§$&¶
&$§^~~,,,, ,,,,~~^§$&
$§^~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~^§$
§^~~,,,,,, 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. ~ ~ ~ ,,,,,,,~~^
§^~~,,,,,, , , , , , , ,,,,,,~~^§
$§^~~,,,,, , , , the engines are burning hot, , , , ,,,,,~~^§$
&$§^~~,,,, and the ship accelerates ,,,,~~^§$&
¶&$§^~~,,, away. the elves have ,,,~~^§$&¶
#¶&$§^~~,, strapped themselves in, and ,,~~^§$&¶#
##¶&$§^~~, are lying completely still, ,~~^§$&¶##
#¶&$§^~~,, like corpses. ,,~~^§$&¶#
¶&$§^~~,,, ,,,~~^§$&¶
&$§^~~,,,, ,,,,~~^§$&
$§^~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~^§$
§^~~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~~^§
^~~,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,~~^