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