.:~:%%####                                          ####%%:~:.
......~%%#                                          #%%~......
.....~%##@                                          @##%~.....
...::%%%##                                          ##%%%::...
.:~:%%##@#                                          #@##%%:~:.
....:~:%## 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.               #%::......
...:~::%##                                          ##%::~:...
..::~%%##@                                          @##%%~::..
....~:%%%#                                          #%%%:~....
....::~%%#                                          #%%~::....
.:~:%%##@#                                          #@##%%:~:.