#$§:=~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~=:§$#
$§:=~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~=:§$
§:=~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=:§
:=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=:
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.              ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨