####$%/=.¨ ¨.=/%$####
###%=.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.=%###
#%=..¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨..=%#
###$//..¨¨ ¨¨..//$###
####$%/=.¨ ¨.=/%$####
####$%/=.¨ gray skies, swirling with soot. stony ¨.=/%$####
##$/=.¨¨¨¨ ground with no hints of vegetation. ¨¨¨¨.=/$##
###%/.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨./%###
####$%/=.¨ below the surface are the mines, ¨.=/%$####
#$/////=.¨ spiraling down into the crust. small ¨.=/////$#
#%%%/=¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨¨=/%##
####$%/=.¨ are lying completely still, ¨.=/%$####
####$%/=.¨ like corpses. ¨.=/%$####
####$%/=.¨ ¨.=/%$####
####$%/=.¨ ¨.=/%$####
####$%/=.¨ ¨.=/%$####
#$%/==¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨==/%$#
####$%/=.¨ ¨.=/%$####