¶§$*\=,... ...,=\*$§¶
#¶§$*\=,.. ..,=\*$§¶#
##¶§$*\=,. .,=\*$§¶##
#¶§$*\=,.. ..,=\*$§¶#
¶§$*\=,... ...,=\*$§¶
§$*\=,.... gray skies, swirling with soot. stony ....,=\*$§
$*\=,..... ground with no hints of vegetation. .....,=\*$
§$*\=,.... ....,=\*$§
¶§$*\=,... below the surface are the mines, ...,=\*$§¶
#¶§$*\=,.. spiraling down into the crust. small ..,=\*$§¶#
##¶§$*\=,. compared to the caverns they eventually .,=\*$§¶##
#¶§$*\=,.. reach and join with. the temperature is ..,=\*$§¶#
¶§$*\=,... higher down here, and the view is not ...,=\*$§¶
§$*\=,.... as monochrome: a green light beckons ....,=\*$§
$*\=,..... from below. .....,=\*$
§$*\=,.... ....,=\*$§
¶§$*\=,... long ago, there was a lifeform here. in ...,=\*$§¶
#¶§$*\=,.. the center of the planetoid, something ..,=\*$§¶#
##¶§$*\=,. dormant, waiting for a collision with .,=\*$§¶##
#¶§$*\=,.. another body. but no planet was ..,=\*$§¶#
¶§$*\=,... reached, and over time, the seedling ...,=\*$§¶
§$*\=,.... became a sludge. ....,=\*$§
$*\=,..... .....,=\*$
§$*\=,.... and elves came as miners, and the ....,=\*$§
¶§$*\=,... sludge was bottled. ...,=\*$§¶
#¶§$*\=,.. ..,=\*$§¶#
##¶§$*\=,. ######################################## .,=\*$§¶##
#¶§$*\=,.. # # ..,=\*$§¶#
¶§$*\=,... # ######§#§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§#§###### # ...,=\*$§¶
§$*\=,.... # # # # ....,=\*$§
$*\=,..... # # #¶¶§*§********************§*§¶¶# # # .....,=\*$
§$*\=,.... ¶ # # # # ¶ ....,=\*$§
¶§$*\=,... ¶ # # the cargo ship is filled, # # ¶ ...,=\*$§¶
#¶§$*\=,.. $ # ¶ prepared for launch, ¶ # $ ..,=\*$§¶#
##¶§$*\=,. * ¶ ¶ ignition sequence started ¶ ¶ * .,=\*$§¶##
#¶§$*\=,.. \ § ¶ hours ago. elves in the ¶ § \ ..,=\*$§¶#
¶§$*\=,... \ * § passenger cabin, not yet § * \ ...,=\*$§¶
§$*\=,.... = \ § seated. but something is § \ = ....,=\*$§
$*\=,..... = = $ wrong. there is something $ = = .....,=\*$
§$*\=,.... , , * green around their mouths. * , , ....,=\*$§
¶§$*\=,... , , \ the sludge has been sampled, \ , , ...,=\*$§¶
#¶§$*\=,.. , , = entertained, and then = , , ..,=\*$§¶#
##¶§$*\=,. , , , finally binged on. , , , .,=\*$§¶##
#¶§$*\=,.. . . . . . . ..,=\*$§¶#
¶§$*\=,... . . . the engines are burning hot, . . . ...,=\*$§¶
§$*\=,.... and the ship accelerates ....,=\*$§
$*\=,..... away. the elves have .....,=\*$
§$*\=,.... strapped themselves in, and ....,=\*$§
¶§$*\=,... are lying completely still, ...,=\*$§¶
#¶§$*\=,.. like corpses. ..,=\*$§¶#
##¶§$*\=,. .,=\*$§¶##
#¶§$*\=,.. ..,=\*$§¶#
¶§$*\=,... ...,=\*$§¶
§$*\=,.... ....,=\*$§
$*\=,..... .....,=\*$