¨@¨@@@¨@@¨ @@¨¨@¨¨¨@¨
¨¨¨@¨@¨@@@ @@@¨¨@¨¨¨@
@¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨@ @¨@@¨¨@¨¨¨
¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@ ¨¨@@@¨¨@¨¨
¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨@ ¨¨@¨@@¨¨@¨
¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨@@@¨¨@¨
¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨@ ¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨@
@¨¨¨@@@¨¨@ ¨¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨
¨@¨¨@¨@@¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨@¨@@¨
¨¨@¨¨¨@@@¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@@@
@¨¨@¨¨@¨@@ @¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨@