.....~:§##                                          ##§:~.....
.....~:=##                                          ##=:~.....
...~-=§#@#                                          #@#§=-~...
.~-:=§@###                                          ###@§=:-~.
...----=##                                          ##=----...
.~-:=§#@## 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.               ###§=-....
.~-:=§@###                                          ###@§=:-~.
.~-:=§#@##                                          ##@#§=:-~.
......-=#@                                          @#=-......
.~-:=§#@##                                          ##@#§=:-~.
.~-:=§§§§#                                          #§§§§=:-~.