¨-»*%@#@@@ @@@#@%*»-¨
¨-»*%@#@@@ @@@#@%*»-¨
¨¨¨»**%@@# #@@%**»¨¨¨
¨-»*%@#@## ##@#@%*»-¨
¨-»*%@#@@# #@@#@%*»-¨
¨-»*%@#@## 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. @@@%%»¨¨¨¨
¨-»*%#@@## ##@@#%*»-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨»%# #%»¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨-»*%@#@@# #@@#@%*»-¨
¨¨¨¨-*%@@@ @@@%*-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨»%@# #@%»¨¨¨¨¨¨