,,,,,,,,-= =-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-=^ ^=-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-=^$ $^=-,,,,,,
,,,,,-=^$# #$^=-,,,,,
,,,,-=^$## ##$^=-,,,,
,,,-=^$### 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. , , , $^=-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-=^ , , , , , , ^=-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-= , , , the engines are burning hot, , , , =-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- and the ship accelerates -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, away. the elves have ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- strapped themselves in, and -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-= are lying completely still, =-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-=^ like corpses. ^=-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-=^$ $^=-,,,,,,
,,,,,-=^$# #$^=-,,,,,
,,,,-=^$## ##$^=-,,,,
,,,-=^$### ###$^=-,,,
,,-=^$#### ####$^=-,,