.:=*=*§###                                          ###§*=*=:.
.......==§                                          §==.......
.:=*=*§@##                                          ##@§*=*=:.
.:=*=*§@##                                          ##@§*=*=:.
.....:=**@                                          @**=:.....
.:=====*@# 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.               #§=****=:.
.:=*=*§@##                                          ##@§*=*=:.
..::**==§#                                          #§==**::..
....:====§                                          §====:....
.:=*=*@###                                          ###@*=*=:.
.:=*=*§@@@                                          @@@§*=*=:.