.~-/%§§#@#                                          #@#§§%/-~.
.~-/%§§@##                                          ##@§§%/-~.
.~-/%§§###                                          ###§§%/-~.
.~-//%§§#@                                          @#§§%//-~.
.....~/%§§                                          §§%/~.....
.~-/%§§#@# 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.              #@#§§%/-~.
.~-/%§§###                                          ###§§%/-~.
.....-/§##                                          ##§/-.....
.......-%§                                          §%-.......
.~-/%§§#@#                                          #@#§§%/-~.
.~--//%§§#                                          #§§%//--~.