,-~=**¶### ###¶**=~-,
,-~=**&¶## ##¶&**=~-,
,-~=**&¶## ##¶&**=~-,
,,,,,-=*&& &&*=-,,,,,
,,,,--=*&& &&*=--,,,,
,-~=****&# 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. &&*~~--,,,
,,,,-~**&& &&**~-,,,,
,-~=**&¶## ##¶&**=~-,
,-~=**&¶## ##¶&**=~-,
,,--~****& &****~--,,
,-~~~==*&# #&*==~~~-,