,,,,,-*££# #££*-,,,,,
,,,,,*$££# #££$*,,,,,
,,-*$££@## ##@££$*-,,
,,-*$££@@# #@@££$*-,,
,,,,,,**$£ £$**,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-$£ gray skies, swirling with soot. stony £$-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,**$£ ground with no hints of vegetation. £$**,,,,,,
,,-*$££@## ##@££$*-,,
,,-*$££@## below the surface are the mines, ##@££$*-,,
,,,,,,-$£@ spiraling down into the crust. small @£$-,,,,,,
,,-*$££@## compared to the caverns they eventually ##@££$*-,,
,,-*$££@## reach and join with. the temperature is ##@££$*-,,
,,,,-$$£@# higher down here, and the view is not #@£$$-,,,,
,,,,,-$$££ as monochrome: a green light beckons ££$$-,,,,,
,,-**$$£££ from below. £££$$**-,,
,,-*$££@## ##@££$*-,,
,,-*$££@## long ago, there was a lifeform here. in ##@££$*-,,
,,-*$$££££ the center of the planetoid, something ££££$$*-,,
,,,,**£££@ 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, , , , @£££*-,,,,
,,--**$£@# and the ship accelerates #@£$**--,,
,,,,,*$££# away. the elves have #££$*,,,,,
,,-*$££@## strapped themselves in, and ##@££$*-,,
,,,,,,-$£# are lying completely still, #£$-,,,,,,
,,,,,-$£@# like corpses. #@£$-,,,,,
,,,,-$£££@ @£££$-,,,,
,,-*$££@## ##@££$*-,,
,,-*$££@## ##@££$*-,,
,,-*$££@## ##@££$*-,,
,,-*$££@## ##@££$*-,,