.-==*%§¶##                                          ##¶§%*==-.
.-==*%§¶##                                          ##¶§%*==-.
.....--=%¶                                          ¶%=--.....
....====%§                                          §%====....
..--====*§                                          §*====--..
....===%%¶ 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.               §%==......
.-==*%§¶##                                          ##¶§%*==-.
.-==*%§¶##                                          ##¶§%*==-.
.-=*%§¶###                                          ###¶§%*=-.
.-==*%§¶##                                          ##¶§%*==-.
.-==*%§¶##                                          ##¶§%*==-.