,~«\$@§###                                          ###§@$\«~,
,,,,,,«\@§                                          §@\«,,,,,,
,~«\$@§###                                          ###§@$\«~,
~«\$@§####                                          ####§@$\«~
,,,~~~\$$§                                          §$$\~~~,,,
,~«\$@§### gray  skies, swirling  with soot.  stony ###§@$\«~,
,~«\$@§### ground  with  no  hints  of  vegetation. ###§@$\«~,
,~«\$@§###                                          ###§@$\«~,
,~«\$@§### below  the   surface   are   the  mines, ###§@$\«~,
,,,,~\@§## spiraling down  into  the  crust.  small ##§@\~,,,,
,~«\$@§### compared to the  caverns they eventually ###§@$\«~,
,~«\$@§### reach and join with.  the temperature is ###§@$\«~,
,,,~\\\$@# higher  down here, and the view  is  not #@$\\\~,,,
,,,,,,~\@# as monochrome:  a  green  light  beckons #@\~,,,,,,
,,,~~««$§§               from below.                §§$««~~,,,
,~«\$@§###                                          ###§@$\«~,
,~«\$@§### long ago, there was a lifeform here.  in ###§@$\«~,
,,,,,,~\@# the  center  of the planetoid, something #@\~,,,,,,
,~«\$@§### dormant,  waiting for a  collision  with ###§@$\«~,
,~«\$@§### another  body.   but   no   planet   was ###§@$\«~,
,,,,,«\$$§ reached,  and  over  time,  the seedling §$$\«,,,,,
,~«\$@§###             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,       ###§@$\«~,
,~«\$@§###               like corpses.              ###§@$\«~,
,~«\$@§###                                          ###§@$\«~,
,~«\$@####                                          ####@$\«~,
,,,~~~\@§#                                          #§@\~~~,,,
,,,~~\@§§#                                          #§§@\~~,,,
,~«\$@§§§#                                          #§§§@$\«~,