,^«:%$&@##                                          ##@&$%:«^,
,^«:%$&@##                                          ##@&$%:«^,
,^«:%%$&&@                                          @&&$%%:«^,
,,,,,,«%%&                                          &%%«,,,,,,
,^««:%%&@#                                          #@&%%:««^,
,^«:%$&@## gray skies,  swirling with  soot.  stony ##@&$%:«^,
,^«:%$&@## ground  with  no  hints  of  vegetation. ##@&$%:«^,
,^«:%&@###                                          ###@&%:«^,
,,,,««:%&& 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           ##@&$%:«^,
,,,,^«:$$@       strapped themselves in, and        @$$:«^,,,,
,^«:%$&@##        are lying completely still,       ##@&$%:«^,
,^^^::$&@@               like corpses.              @@&$::^^^,
,,,,,,^:$@                                          @$:^,,,,,,
,^«:%$&###                                          ###&$%:«^,
,^«:%$&@##                                          ##@&$%:«^,
,,,^::%&@@                                          @@&%::^,,,
,^«:%$$&&#                                          #&&$$%:«^,