#¶$$\.,,,, ,,,,.\$$¶#
¶$\«,,,,,, ,,,,,,«\$¶
###¶@$*\., ,.\*$@¶###
¶¶@@$*\«., ,.«\*$@@¶¶
##¶@$*\«., ,.«\*$@¶##
##¶@$*\«., gray skies, swirling with soot. stony ,.«\*$@¶##
@@@@$*\«., ground with no hints of vegetation. ,.«\*$@@@@
##¶@$*\«., ,.«\*$@¶##
##¶@$*\«., below the surface are the mines, ,.«\*$@¶##
#@$\.,,,,, spiraling down into the crust. small ,,,,,.\$@#
##¶@$*\«., compared to the caverns they eventually ,.«\*$@¶##
@$**«««.,, reach and join with. the temperature is ,,.«««**$@
@@$$*\\«., 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 ,,,,..\$$¶
#@@@$*\«., strapped themselves in, and ,.«\*$@@@#
¶$**\.,,,, are lying completely still, ,,,,.\**$¶
¶$*\.,,,,, like corpses. ,,,,,.\*$¶
@$$*««,,,, ,,,,««*$$@
¶$\\«««.,, ,,.«««\\$¶
¶¶¶@$*\«., ,.«\*$@¶¶¶
##¶@$*\«., ,.«\*$@¶##
@@$*«.,,,, ,,,,.«*$@@