###§==»... ...»==§###
##§==».... ....»==§##
#§==»..... .....»==§#
§==»...... ......»==§
==»....... .......»==
§==»...... 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. ..»==§####
###§==»... ...»==§###
##§==».... ....»==§##
#§==»..... .....»==§#
§==»...... ......»==§
==»....... .......»==