&&&**=-,,, ,,,-=**&&&
&***†--,,, ,,,--†***&
&&****†=-, ,-=†****&&
###&%*†=-, ,-=†*%&###
#&**===-,, ,,-===**&#
###&%*†=-, 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. ,,,,--=†*&
###&%*†=-, ,-=†*%&###
###&%*†=-, ,-=†*%&###
#&*†--,,,, ,,,,--†*&#
###&%*†=-, ,-=†*%&###
#&%*†=-,,, ,,,-=†*%&#