#¤%^=¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨=^%¤#
#%%%%*^=,¨ ¨,=^*%%%%#
###¤%*^=,¨ ¨,=^*%¤###
###¤%*^=,¨ ¨,=^*%¤###
###¤%*^=,¨ ¨,=^*%¤###
###¤%*^=,¨ 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. ¨,==^***¤#
¤*^,,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,,^*¤
###¤%*^=,¨ ¨,=^*%¤###
####%*^=,¨ ¨,=^*%####
###¤%*^=,¨ ¨,=^*%¤###
#%^=¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨=^%#