###§¤*==., ,.==*¤§###
§*===,,,,, ,,,,,===*§
§***==,,,, ,,,,==***§
##@§¤*==., ,.==*¤§@##
§¤¤¤**==., ,.==**¤¤¤§
@@@§¤*==., 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. ,.==*¤§@##
##@§¤*==., ,.==*¤§@##
#@@§¤*==., ,.==*¤§@@#
##@§¤*==., ,.==*¤§@##
##@§¤*==., ,.==*¤§@##
##@§¤*==., ,.==*¤§@##