.,«†=%&@@#                                          #@@&%=†«,.
.,««††=%@@                                          @@%=††««,.
.,«†=%&@@@                                          @@@&%=†«,.
.,«†=%&@@#                                          #@@&%=†«,.
...,«=%%&@                                          @&%%=«,...
.,«†=%%&@@ 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.               #@@&%=†«,.
.,«†=%&@@@                                          @@@&%=†«,.
.,«†=%&@##                                          ##@&%=†«,.
.,«†=%@@##                                          ##@@%=†«,.
.,«†=%&@@@                                          @@@&%=†«,.
.,«†=%&@@#                                          #@@&%=†«,.