¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«
*«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«*
%*«~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~«*%
&%*«~¨¨¨¨¨ 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.              ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«
*«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«*
%*«~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~«*%
&%*«~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~«*%&
¶&%*«~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~«*%&¶