&†/»~,,,,, ,,,,,~»/†&
@&†/»~,,,, ,,,,~»/†&@
#@&†/»~,,, ,,,~»/†&@#
##@&†/»~,, ,,~»/†&@##
###@&†/»~, ,~»/†&@###
##@&†/»~,, 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. ,,,,,,~»/†
&†/»~,,,,, ,,,,,~»/†&
@&†/»~,,,, ,,,,~»/†&@
#@&†/»~,,, ,,,~»/†&@#
##@&†/»~,, ,,~»/†&@##
###@&†/»~, ,~»/†&@###