.##.#.###.                                          ...##.#.##
#.####..##                                          ..#.####.#
##...#.#.#                                          .###...##.
.#..#####.                                          #..#..#.##
##.#....##                                          #.##.###.#
.###...#.. 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.              .#....#..#
.#..#..###                                          ##...##.#.
##.##.#..#                                          .#..#.###.
.##.###.##                                          ##.###..##
#.##..##.#                                          .##..#.#.#
##.#.#.##.                                          #.#.#####.