....^^*$##                                          ##$*^^....
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...==*$££#                                          #££$*==...
.^=*%$£### gray skies,  swirling with  soot.  stony ###£$%*=^.
.^=****$$# ground  with  no  hints  of  vegetation. #$$****=^.
......=%£#                                          #£%=......
.^=*%$£### below   the  surface   are   the  mines, ###£$%*=^.
.^=*%$£### spiraling  down  into the  crust.  small ###£$%*=^.
.^*%$£#### compared  to the caverns they eventually ####£$%*^.
.^=*%$£### reach  and join with. the temperature is ###£$%*=^.
.^^=**$$## higher down  here,  and  the view is not ##$$**=^^.
.^=*%$#### as  monochrome:  a  green  light beckons ####$%*=^.
.^=*%$£###               from below.                ###£$%*=^.
.^=*%$£###                                          ###£$%*=^.
...^***$££ long  ago, there was a lifeform here. in ££$***^...
.^=*%$£### the  center of  the planetoid, something ###£$%*=^.
...^^*%££# 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 £%*^......
.^=*%$£###           sludge was bottled.            ###£$%*=^.
.^=*%$£###                                          ###£$%*=^.
.^=*%$£### ######################################## ###£$%*=^.
...=*%$$## #                                      # ##$$%*=...
.^=*%$£### # ######£#££££££££££££££££££££#£###### # ###£$%*=^.
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.^=*%$£### # # ###£%£%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%£%£### # # ###£$%*=^.
.^=*%$$£## # # #                              # # # ##£$$%*=^.
.^=*$£#### # # #   the cargo ship is filled,  # # # ####£$*=^.
.^^=**%%£# $ # #      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.      ^ ^ ^ #£%%%===^.
.^=*%$£### . . .                              . . . ###£$%*=^.
.^=*%$£### . . . the engines are burning hot, . . . ###£$%*=^.
.^=*%$£###         and the ship accelerates         ###£$%*=^.
.^=*%$£###           away. the elves have           ###£$%*=^.
.^=*%$£###       strapped themselves in, and        ###£$%*=^.
.^=*%$£###        are lying completely still,       ###£$%*=^.
.^*%$£####              like corpses.               ####£$%*^.
.^=*%$£###                                          ###£$%*=^.
...^==*$$#                                          #$$*==^...
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