&*=/~^,,,, ,,,,^~/=*&
*=/~^,,,,, ,,,,,^~/=*
=/~^,,,,,, ,,,,,,^~/=
*=/~^,,,,, ,,,,,^~/=*
&*=/~^,,,, ,,,,^~/=*&
¶&*=/~^,,, 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. ,,,^~/=*&¶
&*=/~^,,,, ,,,,^~/=*&
*=/~^,,,,, ,,,,,^~/=*
=/~^,,,,,, ,,,,,,^~/=
*=/~^,,,,, ,,,,,^~/=*
&*=/~^,,,, ,,,,^~/=*&