..:~^^%§##                                          ##§%^^~:..
.:~^^%§###                                          ###§%^^~:.
..:~^^%§##                                          ##§%^^~:..
...:~^^%§#                                          #§%^^~:...
..:~^^%§##                                          ##§%^^~:..
.:~^^%§### 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.              ###§%^^~:.
..:~^^%§##                                          ##§%^^~:..
...:~^^%§#                                          #§%^^~:...
..:~^^%§##                                          ##§%^^~:..
.:~^^%§###                                          ###§%^^~:.
..:~^^%§##                                          ##§%^^~:..