.....#####                                          #.###.###.
....#.....                                          ##..##..#.
...##....#                                          .#.#.#.##.
..#.#...##                                          #######.#.
.####..#.#                                          ......###.
#...#.#### 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.               ..#.....##
######.##.                                          .##....#..
.....##.#.                                          #.#...##.#
....#.###.                                          ###..#.###
...###..##                                          ..#.###..#
..#..#.#..                                          .###..#.##