##@§*^=~:. .:~=^*§@##
#§***^=~:. .:~=^***§#
@@§§*^=~:. .:~=^*§§@@
#§§^^==~:. .:~==^^§§#
##@§*^=~:. .:~=^*§@##
@@§*==::.. 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. .:~=^*§@##
§****^=~:. .:~=^****§
@§^=::.... ....::=^§@
##@§*^=~:. .:~=^*§@##
@@*^~::... ...::~^*@@
§^=:...... ......:=^§