.~=;†$£###                                          ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£##                                          ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£###                                          ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£##                                          ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£###                                          ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£## gray skies,  swirling with  soot.  stony ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£### ground  with  no  hints  of  vegetation. ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£##                                          ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£### below   the  surface   are   the  mines, ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£## spiraling  down  into  the  crust. small ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£### compared to the caverns  they eventually ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£## reach and join with. the temperature  is ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£### higher down here,  and the  view is  not ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£## as  monochrome:  a green  light  beckons ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£###                from below.               ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£##                                          ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£### long ago, there  was a lifeform here. in ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£## the center  of the planetoid,  something ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£### dormant,  waiting for  a collision  with ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£## another  body.   but   no   planet   was ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£### reached,  and  over time,  the  seedling ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£##             became a sludge.             ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£###                                          ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£## and  elves   came  as  miners,  and  the ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£###            sludge was bottled.           ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£##                                          ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£### ######################################## ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£## #                                      # ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£### # ######£#££££££££££££££££££££#£###### # ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£## # #                                  # # ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£### # # ###£†£††††††††††††††††††††£†£### # # ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£## # # #                              # # # ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£### # # #   the cargo ship is filled,  # # # ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£## $ # #      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.              ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£###                                          ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£##                                          ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£###                                          ###£$†;=~.
..~=;†$£##                                          ##£$†;=~..
.~=;†$£###                                          ###£$†;=~.