@¤¤§§-:,,, ,,,:-§§¤¤@
@§§-:,,,,, ,,,,,:-§§@
@@§¤^--::, ,::--^¤§@@
@¤§-:::,,, ,,,:::-§¤@
§§¤¤^---:, ,:---^¤¤§§
##@@§¤§^:, 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. ,,,,::^¤¤§
@¤^^-,,,,, ,,,,,-^^¤@
##@@§§^-:, ,:-^§§@@##
##@@¤§^-:, ,:-^§¤@@##
§§¤¤¤§^-:, ,:-^§¤¤¤§§
#@@§¤§^-:, ,:-^§¤§@@#