.....=^@## ##@^=.....
.-=*^&@### ###@&^*=-.
...-=^^@## ##@^^=-...
.-=*^&@### ###@&^*=-.
.-=*^&@### ###@&^*=-.
.-=*^&@### 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. @@^*=.....
.-=*^&@### ###@&^*=-.
.-=*^&@### ###@&^*=-.
...==**&&@ @&&**==...
.-=*^&@### ###@&^*=-.
....-=^@## ##@^=-....