.~»:§@@@@# #@@@@§:»~.
.~»:§@@@@# #@@@@§:»~.
.~»:§@@@@# #@@@@§:»~.
.~»:§@@@@@ @@@@@§:»~.
.~»:§@@@@@ @@@@@§:»~.
......~:@@ 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. @@@@@§:»~.
.~»:§@@@@# #@@@@§:»~.
.~»:§@@@@# #@@@@§:»~.
..~~»»»:@@ @@:»»»~~..
.~»:§@@@@# #@@@@§:»~.
...~»»§@@@ @@@§»»~...