,&&,,&&&&,                                          &&&,&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&&,                                          ,&&,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&&,                                          ,,&,&,&,&,
&,&,&,&,&,                                          ,&&,&,&,&,
&,&,&,&,&,                                          ,,&,&,&,&,
&,&,&,&,&, 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.               ,&&,&,&,&,
&,&,&,&,&,                                          ,,&,&,&,&,
&,&,&,&,&,                                          ,&&,&,&,&,
&,&,&,&,&,                                          ,,&,&,&,&,
&,&,&,&,&,                                          ,&&,&,&,&,
&,&,&,&,&,                                          ,,&,&,&,&,