@@$////=,. .,=////$@@
##@@$%/=,. .,=/%$@@##
@@@%=..... .....=%@@@
#@$%%=,... ...,=%%$@#
##@@$%/=,. .,=/%$@@##
@$%=...... gray skies, swirling with soot. stony ......=%$@
@$//=..... ground with no hints of vegetation. .....=//$@
@@@%/,.... ....,/%@@@
##@@$%/=,. below the surface are the mines, .,=/%$@@##
##@@$%/=,. spiraling down into the crust. small .,=/%$@@##
@$$$$%/=,. compared to the caverns they eventually .,=/%$$$$@
##@@$%/=,. reach and join with. the temperature is .,=/%$@@##
@%/,,..... higher down here, and the view is not .....,,/%@
##@@$%/=,. as monochrome: a green light beckons .,=/%$@@##
###@$%/=,. from below. .,=/%$@###
##@@$%/=,. .,=/%$@@##
#@@@$%/=,. long ago, there was a lifeform here. in .,=/%$@@@#
@@%====,,. the center of the planetoid, something .,,====%@@
@@@$$%/=,. dormant, waiting for a collision with .,=/%$$@@@
##@@$%/=,. another body. but no planet was .,=/%$@@##
@%=,...... reached, and over time, the seedling ......,=%@
@@$$/,.... became a sludge. ....,/$$@@
##@@$%/=,. .,=/%$@@##
@$//,..... and elves came as miners, and the .....,//$@
##@@$%/=,. sludge was bottled. .,=/%$@@##
##@@$%/=,. .,=/%$@@##
@%=....... ######################################## .......=%@
@%%/==,... # # ...,==/%%@
@$/,...... # ######@#@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#@###### # ......,/$@
@@%//==... # # # # ...==//%@@
##@@$%/=,. # # #@@@%@%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%@%@@@# # # .,=/%$@@##
@$//,..... @ # # # # @ .....,//$@
##@@$%/=,. @ # # the cargo ship is filled, # # @ .,=/%$@@##
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##@@$%/=,. % @ @ ignition sequence started @ @ % .,=/%$@@##
##@@$%/=,. / @ @ hours ago. elves in the @ @ / .,=/%$@@##
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##@@$%/=,. = / @ seated. but something is @ / = .,=/%$@@##
###@@%/=,. = = $ wrong. there is something $ = = .,=/%@@###
@@$%%/,... , , % green around their mouths. % , , ...,/%%$@@
##@@$%/=,. , , / the sludge has been sampled, / , , .,=/%$@@##
##@@$%/=,. , , = entertained, and then = , , .,=/%$@@##
#@@%/=.... , , , finally binged on. , , , ....=/%@@#
##@@$%/=,. . . . . . . .,=/%$@@##
##@@$%/=,. . . . the engines are burning hot, . . . .,=/%$@@##
@$%====... and the ship accelerates ...====%$@
@$%%%%/=,. away. the elves have .,=/%%%%$@
##@@$%/=,. strapped themselves in, and .,=/%$@@##
##@@$%/=,. are lying completely still, .,=/%$@@##
@$/,...... like corpses. ......,/$@
##@@$%/=,. .,=/%$@@##
#@%%=..... .....=%%@#
##@@$%/=,. .,=/%$@@##
##@@$%/=,. .,=/%$@@##
#@@$%==... ...==%$@@#