,,«:*%&¶##                                          ##¶&%*:«,,
,,«:*%&¶##                                          ##¶&%*:«,,
,,«:*%¶###                                          ###¶%*:«,,
,,,,,««*%&                                          &%*««,,,,,
,,,,,,«*%¶                                          ¶%*«,,,,,,
,,,,,,«*&¶ 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.               ##¶&%*:«,,
,,,,«:*%&¶                                          ¶&%*:«,,,,
,,«:*%&¶##                                          ##¶&%*:«,,
,,«:%&¶###                                          ###¶&%:«,,
,,«:*%&###                                          ###&%*:«,,
,,,,::*%¶#                                          #¶%*::,,,,