,~-^*$&@## ##@&$*^-~,
,~-^*$$&&# #&&$$*^-~,
,,,,,~-*$@ @$*-~,,,,,
,~-^*$&@## ##@&$*^-~,
,~-^*$&@## ##@&$*^-~,
,,,,,,~^$@ gray skies, swirling with soot. stony @$^~,,,,,,
,~-^*$&@## ground with no hints of vegetation. ##@&$*^-~,
,~-^*$$&&& &&&$$*^-~,
,,,,,,-*&# 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 @ & ^ &*-~,,,,,,
,~-^*$&@## ^ * & passenger cabin, not yet & * ^ ##@&$*^-~,
,,,,,~^^$@ - ^ & seated. but something is & ^ - @$^^~,,,,,
,~---*$$@# - - $ wrong. there is something $ - - #@$$*---~,
,~-^*$&@## ~ ~ * green around their mouths. * ~ ~ ##@&$*^-~,
,,,,,,-^$& ~ ~ ^ the sludge has been sampled, ^ ~ ~ &$^-,,,,,,
,,,,,-^$@@ ~ ~ - entertained, and then - ~ ~ @@$^-,,,,,
,~-^^*$$@# ~ ~ ~ finally binged on. ~ ~ ~ #@$$*^^-~,
,,,,~-^*&# , , , , , , #&*^-~,,,,
,~-^*$&@## , , , the engines are burning hot, , , , ##@&$*^-~,
,~-^*$&@## and the ship accelerates ##@&$*^-~,
,,,~^^^$$& away. the elves have &$$^^^~,,,
,,,~^*$$&# strapped themselves in, and #&$$*^~,,,
,~-^*$&@@# are lying completely still, #@@&$*^-~,
,~-^*$&@## like corpses. ##@&$*^-~,
,~-*$&@### ###@&$*-~,
,~-^*$&@## ##@&$*^-~,
,~~~-**&&@ @&&**-~~~,
,,,~~-^$&# #&$^-~~,,,
,~-^*&@### ###@&*^-~,