@@¶¤&§\~,, ,,~\§&¤¶@@
##@¤&§\~,, ,,~\§&¤@##
#@¶¤&§\~,, ,,~\§&¤¶@#
¤¤&§§§\~,, ,,~\§§§&¤¤
¤&§~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~§&¤
@@¶¤&§\~,, 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. ,,~\§&¤¤¤¤
@@¶¤&§\~,, ,,~\§&¤¶@@
¤§§§\\\~,, ,,~\\\§§§¤
#@¶¤&§\~,, ,,~\§&¤¶@#
@¤§~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~§¤@
¤¤§~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~§¤¤