.,~=====%¶                                          ¶%=====~,.
.,~=%%§¶##                                          ##¶§%%=~,.
.,~=%%¶@##                                          ##@¶%%=~,.
.,~=%%§¶@#                                          #@¶§%%=~,.
.,~=%%§@##                                          ##@§%%=~,.
....,~%%§§ 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.              @¶%%=,,,..
.,~=%%%§§¶                                          ¶§§%%%=~,.
.,~=%%§¶##                                          ##¶§%%=~,.
...,,~%%§§                                          §§%%~,,...
....~==%¶¶                                          ¶¶%==~....
.,~=%%§¶@#                                          #@¶§%%=~,.