##¶@%§†»,.                                          .,»†§%@¶##
@%§†,,....                                          ....,,†§%@
#@@@%§†»,.                                          .,»†§%@@@#
#@@§»»,...                                          ...,»»§@@#
@@@§§†»»,.                                          .,»»†§§@@@
##¶@%§†»,. 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.              .,»†§%@¶##
##¶@%§†»,.                                          .,»†§%@¶##
@@@@%§†»,.                                          .,»†§%@@@@
###¶%§†»,.                                          .,»†§%¶###
###¶@§†»,.                                          .,»†§@¶###
#¶@%§†,...                                          ...,†§%@¶#