.~=^=$§###                                          ###§$=^=~.
.....~^^$§                                          §$^^~.....
.~=^=$§###                                          ###§$=^=~.
.~=^=$§###                                          ###§$=^=~.
.~=^=$§###                                          ###§$=^=~.
.~=^=$§### gray  skies, swirling  with soot.  stony ###§$=^=~.
.~=^=$§### ground  with  no  hints  of  vegetation. ###§$=^=~.
.~=^=$§###                                          ###§$=^=~.
.....==$$§ below   the   surface   are  the  mines, §$$==.....
.~=^=$§### spiraling  down  into the  crust.  small ###§$=^=~.
.~=^=$§### compared to the  caverns they eventually ###§$=^=~.
.~=^=$§### reach and  join with. the temperature is ###§$=^=~.
.~=^=$§### higher down here,  and  the  view is not ###§$=^=~.
.~=^=$§### as  monochrome:  a  green light  beckons ###§$=^=~.
......===§                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.               #§==^=....
.~=^=$§###                                          ###§$=^=~.
.~=^=$§###                                          ###§$=^=~.
.~=^=$§###                                          ###§$=^=~.
.....===§#                                          #§===.....
.....~~==§                                          §==~~.....