,,,,,:*%@@ @@%*:,,,,,
,:-*%%#@## ##@#%%*-:,
,:-*%%#### ####%%*-:,
,,,,,-%%## ##%%-,,,,,
,:-*%%#@## ##@#%%*-:,
,,,,-%%##@ 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. ##@#%%*-:,
,:-*%#@### ###@#%*-:,
,:-*%%#@## ##@#%%*-:,
,:-*%%#@## ##@#%%*-:,
,:::*%%%%@ @%%%%*:::,
,:-*%%#@## ##@#%%*-:,