##@¶&$^:=¨ ¨=:^$&¶@##
##¶&$^:=,¨ ¨,=:^$&¶##
#@¶&$^:=,¨ ¨,=:^$&¶@#
¶¶¶&$^:=,¨ ¨,=:^$&¶¶¶
¶¶$$^==,,¨ ¨,,==^$$¶¶
#@¶&$^:=,¨ gray skies, swirling with soot. stony ¨,=:^$&¶@#
#@¶&$^:=,¨ ground with no hints of vegetation. ¨,=:^$&¶@#
¶&&$:=¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨=:$&&¶
¶$$$^^:=,¨ below the surface are the mines, ¨,=:^^$$$¶
@¶$^^^:=,¨ spiraling down into the crust. small ¨,=:^^^$¶@
@@¶&$^:=,¨ compared to the caverns they eventually ¨,=:^$&¶@@
##¶&$^:=,¨ reach and join with. the temperature is ¨,=:^$&¶##
&^^:::==,¨ 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 $ = = ¨,=:^$&@##
&&$$^^:=,¨ , , ^ green around their mouths. ^ , , ¨,=:^^$$&&
@@¶&$^:=,¨ , , : the sludge has been sampled, : , , ¨,=:^$&¶@@
#@¶&$^:=,¨ , , = entertained, and then = , , ¨,=:^$&¶@#
#@¶&$^:=,¨ , , , finally binged on. , , , ¨,=:^$&¶@#
¶&^^==,¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨,==^^&¶
&&$:::,¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ the engines are burning hot, ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨,:::$&&
@&$$$^:=,¨ and the ship accelerates ¨,=:^$$$&@
@@¶&$^:=,¨ away. the elves have ¨,=:^$&¶@@
&$^^=¨¨¨¨¨ strapped themselves in, and ¨¨¨¨¨=^^$&
&&&$:,¨¨¨¨ are lying completely still, ¨¨¨¨,:$&&&
&$:,,,,¨¨¨ like corpses. ¨¨¨,,,,:$&
#@¶&$^:=,¨ ¨,=:^$&¶@#
#@¶&$^:=,¨ ¨,=:^$&¶@#
#@¶&$^:=,¨ ¨,=:^$&¶@#
&$:,,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,,:$&
&$^:,,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,,:^$&