#*/^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^/*#
####§$/=^,                                          ,^=/$§####
####*$/=^,                                          ,^=/$*####
###§*$/=^,                                          ,^=/$*§###
####§*$/=^                                          ^=/$*§####
###§*$/=^, gray  skies, swirling  with soot.  stony ,^=/$*§###
###§*$/=^, ground  with  no  hints  of  vegetation. ,^=/$*§###
§*/=,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,=/*§
§$=,,,,,,, below   the  surface   are  the   mines, ,,,,,,,=$§
###§*$/=^, spiraling down  into  the  crust.  small ,^=/$*§###
#*$=,,,,,, compared to the  caverns they eventually ,,,,,,=$*#
###§*$/=^, reach and join with. the  temperature is ,^=/$*§###
§*$/^,,,,, higher  down here, and the  view  is not ,,,,,^/$*§
###§*$/=^, as  monochrome:  a  green light  beckons ,^=/$*§###
§§§$==^,,,                from below.               ,,,^==$§§§
#§$=^^^,,,                                          ,,,^^^=$§#
###§*$/=^, long ago, there was a lifeform here.  in ,^=/$*§###
#**$=,,,,, the  center of  the planetoid, something ,,,,,=$**#
###§*$/=^, dormant,  waiting for  a collision  with ,^=/$*§###
###§*$/=^, another   body.   but  no   planet   was ,^=/$*§###
###§*$/=^, reached,  and  over  time, the  seedling ,^=/$*§###
###§*$/=^,             became a sludge.             ,^=/$*§###
§*/^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^/*§
##§§*$/=^, and  elves  came  as  miners,  and   the ,^=/$*§§##
§*/===,,,,           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    = ^ ^ ,,^=/$$$*#
###§*$/=^, ^ ^ ^      finally binged on.      ^ ^ ^ ,^=/$*§###
###§*$/=^, , , ,                              , , , ,^=/$*§###
#§*/^^^^^, , , , the engines are burning hot, , , , ,^^^^^/*§#
§$====^,,,         and the ship accelerates         ,,,^====$§
§$/=,,,,,,           away. the elves have           ,,,,,,=/$§
#§$/^,,,,,       strapped themselves in, and        ,,,,,^/$§#
###§*$/=^,        are lying completely still,       ,^=/$*§###
###§*$/=^,               like corpses.              ,^=/$*§###
###§*$/=^,                                          ,^=/$*§###
§**$$//=^,                                          ,^=//$$**§
§§§*$$/=^,                                          ,^=/$$*§§§
####§$/=^,                                          ,^=/$§####
###§*$/=^,                                          ,^=/$*§###