,,,.~/*%##                                          ##%*/~.,,,
,,,,.~/*%#                                          #%*/~.,,,,
,,,,,.~/*%                                          %*/~.,,,,,
,,,,.~/*%#                                          #%*/~.,,,,
,,,.~/*%##                                          ##%*/~.,,,
,,.~/*%### 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.               #%*/~.,,,,
,,,,,.~/*%                                          %*/~.,,,,,
,,,,.~/*%#                                          #%*/~.,,,,
,,,.~/*%##                                          ##%*/~.,,,
,,.~/*%###                                          ###%*/~.,,
,.~/*%####                                          ####%*/~.,