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