,.~=*&&&&# #&&&&*=~.,
,.~=*&&### ###&&*=~.,
,.~=*&&### ###&&*=~.,
,,,.~~=*&& &&*=~~.,,,
,,,,,,.=&# #&=.,,,,,,
,.~=*&&&&& 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. #&==..,,,,
,.~=*&&&&# #&&&&*=~.,
,.~=&&#### ####&&=~.,
,.~=*&&### ###&&*=~.,
,,,.~=&&&# #&&&=~.,,,
,.~=*&&&## ##&&&*=~.,