@¨¨@@¨¨@¨¨ @¨¨@¨¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@@¨@ @¨@@¨@@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨¨@¨¨ @¨¨@¨¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@@¨@ @¨@@¨@@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨¨@¨¨ @¨¨@¨¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@@¨@ 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. @¨@@¨@@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨¨@¨¨ @¨¨@¨¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@@¨@ @¨@@¨@@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨¨@¨¨ @¨¨@¨¨@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨@@¨@ @¨@@¨@@¨@¨
@¨@¨@¨¨@¨¨ @¨¨@¨¨@¨@¨