###&§%*=,, ,,=*%§##
##&§%*=,,, ,,,=*%§#
#&§%*=,,,, ,,,,=*%§
&§%*=,,,,, ,,,,,=*%§&
§%*=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=*%§
%*=,,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,=
*=,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,=*
%*=,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,=*%
§%*=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=*%§
&§%*=,,,,, ,,,,,=*%§&
#&§%*=,,,, ,,,,=*%§