..^=**$@##                                          ##@$**=^..
...^=**$@#                                          #@$**=^...
....^=**$@                                          @$**=^....
...^=**$@#                                          #@$**=^...
..^=**$@##                                          ##@$**=^..
.^=**$@### gray  skies, swirling with  soot.  stony ###@$**=^.
..^=**$@## ground  with  no  hints  of  vegetation. ##@$**=^..
...^=**$@#                                          #@$**=^...
....^=**$@ below  the   surface   are  the   mines, @$**=^....
...^=**$@# spiraling  down  into  the crust.  small #@$**=^...
..^=**$@## compared to the caverns they  eventually ##@$**=^..
.^=**$@### reach and join  with. the temperature is ###@$**=^.
..^=**$@## higher down  here, and the  view is  not ##@$**=^..
...^=**$@# as  monochrome:  a  green light  beckons #@$**=^...
....^=**$@               from below.                @$**=^....
...^=**$@#                                          #@$**=^...
..^=**$@## long ago,  there was a lifeform here. in ##@$**=^..
.^=**$@### the  center of the planetoid,  something ###@$**=^.
..^=**$@## dormant,  waiting  for a collision  with ##@$**=^..
...^=**$@# another  body.   but   no   planet   was #@$**=^...
....^=**$@ reached,  and  over  time,  the seedling @$**=^....
...^=**$@#             became a sludge.             #@$**=^...
..^=**$@##                                          ##@$**=^..
.^=**$@### and  elves  came  as  miners,   and  the ###@$**=^.
..^=**$@##            sludge was bottled.           ##@$**=^..
...^=**$@#                                          #@$**=^...
....^=**$@ ######################################## @$**=^....
...^=**$@# #                                      # #@$**=^...
..^=**$@## # ######@#@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#@###### # ##@$**=^..
.^=**$@### # #                                  # # ###@$**=^.
..^=**$@## # # ###@*@********************@*@### # # ##@$**=^..
...^=**$@# # # #                              # # # #@$**=^...
....^=**$@ # # #   the cargo ship is filled,  # # # @$**=^....
...^=**$@# $ # #      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.               #@$**=^...
....^=**$@                                          @$**=^....
...^=**$@#                                          #@$**=^...
..^=**$@##                                          ##@$**=^..
.^=**$@###                                          ###@$**=^.
..^=**$@##                                          ##@$**=^..