£*†=^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^=†*£
*†=^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^=†*
†=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=†
=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.              ¨¨^=†*£###
####£*†=^¨                                          ¨^=†*£####
###£*†=^¨¨                                          ¨¨^=†*£###
##£*†=^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^=†*£##
#£*†=^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^=†*£#
£*†=^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^=†*£