##%\~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~\%##
###&%%\~.¨ ¨.~\%%&###
###&%%\~.¨ ¨.~\%%&###
##&%%%\~.¨ ¨.~\%%%&##
####%%\~.¨ ¨.~\%%####
&%%%%%\~.¨ 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. ¨.~\%%%%%&
&%\~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~\%&
&%\\.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.\\%&
##%\...¨¨¨ ¨¨¨...\%##
###&%%\~.¨ ¨.~\%%&###
##%%%~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~%%%##