......~%§§ §§%~......
.-~;%%§@@@ @@@§%%;~-.
.-~;%%§@@@ @@@§%%;~-.
.-~~~~~%%§ §%%~~~~~-.
.....~;%§§ §§%;~.....
.-~;%%§@@@ 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. @§%%%%;~-.
.~;%%§@@## ##@@§%%;~.
.-~;%%§@@# #@@§%%;~-.
.....~;;%@ @%;;~.....
.-~;%%§@## ##@§%%;~-.
.....-~%§@ @§%~-.....