§&^:::»»:¨ ¨:»»:::^&§
###§&^:»:¨ ¨:»:^&§###
#§^»»»:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:»»»^§#
##§§&^:»:¨ ¨:»:^&§§##
###§&^:»:¨ ¨:»:^&§###
#§^^::»¨¨¨ 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. ¨:»:^&§###
###§&^:»:¨ ¨:»:^&§###
###§&^:»:¨ ¨:»:^&§###
#&^»¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨»^&#
###§&^:»:¨ ¨:»:^&§###
§§^»»:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:»»^§§