¨-»;*$¤¤## ##¤¤$*;»-¨
¨-»;*$¤#@# #@#¤$*;»-¨
¨-»;*$¤#@# #@#¤$*;»-¨
¨¨¨¨»;;$$¤ ¤$$;;»¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-;;*$# #$*;;-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-»**¤¤# 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. * - - ¤*;;-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-;*$¤¤ - - ; the sludge has been sampled, ; - - ¤¤$*;-¨¨¨¨
¨-»;*$¤¤#@ - - » entertained, and then » - - @#¤¤$*;»-¨
¨-»;*$¤#@# - - - finally binged on. - - - #@#¤$*;»-¨
¨-»;;;;*$¤ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¤$*;;;;»-¨
¨-»;*$¤#@# ¨ ¨ ¨ the engines are burning hot, ¨ ¨ ¨ #@#¤$*;»-¨
¨-»;*$#@## and the ship accelerates ##@#$*;»-¨
¨¨¨-»;*$¤# away. the elves have #¤$*;»-¨¨¨
¨-»;*$¤#@# strapped themselves in, and #@#¤$*;»-¨
¨-»;$¤#@## are lying completely still, ##@#¤$;»-¨
¨-»;*$¤#@# like corpses. #@#¤$*;»-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨»**¤ ¤**»¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨-»;*$¤#@# #@#¤$*;»-¨
¨-»;*$¤#@# #@#¤$*;»-¨
¨-»;*$¤### ###¤$*;»-¨
¨-»;*$¤#@# #@#¤$*;»-¨