#&&%;::... ...::;%&&#
###&&%;~:. .:~;%&&###
&&&&&%;~:. .:~;%&&&&&
####&%;~:. .:~;%&####
###&&%;~:. .:~;%&&###
##&&&%;~:. 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. ...~~%&&##
###&&%;~:. .:~;%&&###
#&&;;~~::. .::~~;;&&#
##&%;;::.. ..::;;%&##
#&%;~~~... ...~~~;%&#
##&;~~:... ...:~~;&##