,,,,,,-~:†                                          †:~-,,,,,,
,,,,,-~:†£                                          £†:~-,,,,,
,,,,-~:†£@                                          @£†:~-,,,,
,,,-~:†£@#                                          #@£†:~-,,,
,,-~:†£@##                                          ##@£†:~-,,
,-~:†£@### 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.              £†:~-,,,,,
,,,,,,-~:†                                          †:~-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-~:                                          :~-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-~                                          ~-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,-                                          -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,