##@&@%:~,, ,,~:%@&@##
##@&@%:~,, ,,~:%@&@##
###@&%:~,, ,,~:%&@###
&@@:~,,,,, ,,,,,~:@@&
###&@%:~,, ,,~:%@&###
&%~,,,,,,, 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. ,,~:%@&@##
@@@&@%:~,, ,,~:%@&@@@
###@@%:~,, ,,~:%@@###
##@&@%:~,, ,,~:%@&@##
##@&@%:~,, ,,~:%@&@##
##@&@%:~,, ,,~:%@&@##