@%;~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~;%@
##@@%^;~., ,.~;^%@@##
@^;;;;~,,, ,,,~;;;;^@
#@@@%^;~., ,.~;^%@@@#
#@@@%^;~., ,.~;^%@@@#
#@@@%^;~., 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. ,.~;^%@@##
#@@@%^;~., ,.~;^%@@@#
@@@%;;..., ,...;;%@@@
@%%;..,,,, ,,,,..;%%@
##@@@%^;~, ,~;^%@@@##
@@@@%^;~., ,.~;^%@@@@