¨¨&¨¨&&¨¨¨ &¨¨¨¨&&&&¨
&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&& ¨¨&&¨¨&&¨¨
¨¨&&&&&¨¨¨ &¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
&¨¨&&&¨¨&& ¨¨&&&&&&&&
¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨&&&&&&&
¨&&¨¨¨&&&& 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. &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&