@#%--¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨--%#@
#@@#§%^--¨ ¨--^%§#@@#
@§%%--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--%%§@
@@@#§%^--¨ ¨--^%§#@@@
#@@#§%^--¨ ¨--^%§#@@#
#@@#§%^--¨ 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. ¨--^%§#@@#
@##%-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-%##@
@@@#§%^--¨ ¨--^%§#@@@
#@@#§%^--¨ ¨--^%§#@@#
#§^^--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--^^§#
@@#%-----¨ ¨-----%#@@