,-»»»†***& &***†»»»-,
,,,-»*@@@@ @@@@*»-,,,
,-»†*@@@## ##@@@*†»-,
,-»†*@&@@# #@@&@*†»-,
,,,--†@@@@ @@@@†--,,,
,,,,,,»*@& 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. @&@**»»»-,
,-»†*@&@@# #@@&@*†»-,
,,,,,,,»*& &*»,,,,,,,
,-»†*@&&@@ @@&&@*†»-,
,-»†*@&@@# #@@&@*†»-,
,-»†*@&@@@ @@@&@*†»-,