.....,,^^#                                          #^^,,.....
.,«^^%#@##                                          ##@#%^^«,.
.,«^^%#@##                                          ##@#%^^«,.
....«^^#@@                                          @@#^^«....
.,,,^^%###                                          ###%^^,,,.
.,«^^%#@## 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.               ##@#%^^«,.
.,«««««^%@                                          @%^«««««,.
..,«««^%@@                                          @@%^«««,..
....,^^%%@                                          @%%^^,....
.....«^^##                                          ##^^«.....
.,«^^%#@##                                          ##@#%^^«,.