,^~†§@## ##@#&§†~^,
,,,,~§#@ @##&§~,,,,
,^~†§&&& #&&&&§†~^,
,,,,^^†& #&&†^^,,,,
,,^^^^†§#@ @#§†^^^^,,
,^~†§@## 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. ##@#&§†~^,
,^~†§@## ##@#&§†~^,
,,,,,~†&@@ @@&†~,,,,,
,^~†§@## ##@#&§†~^,
,^~†§#@### ###@#§†~^,
,^~†§@## ##@#&§†~^,