§§§$/»,,,,                                          ,,,,»/$§§§
##$$$%/»^,                                          ,^»/%$$$##
###§$%/»^,                                          ,^»/%$§###
§§%/»,,,,,                                          ,,,,,»/%§§
#§%%»»,,,,                                          ,,,,»»%%§#
#$%%//^,,, gray  skies, swirling  with soot.  stony ,,,^//%%$#
###§$%/»^, ground  with  no  hints  of  vegetation. ,^»/%$§###
##§$/»,,,,                                          ,,,,»/$§##
####§%/»^, 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           ,,,,,,»%§#
###§$%/»^,       strapped themselves in, and        ,^»/%$§###
§$%/^^,,,,        are lying completely still,       ,,,,^^/%$§
###§$%/»^,              like corpses.               ,^»/%$§###
§§$/^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^/$§§
###§$%/»^,                                          ,^»/%$§###
####§%/»^,                                          ,^»/%§####
###§$%/»^,                                          ,^»/%$§###
#§%%%»^,,,                                          ,,,^»%%%§#