.-^*%&#@##                                          ##@#&%*^-.
..-^*%&#@#                                          #@#&%*^-..
...-^*%&#@                                          @#&%*^-...
....-^*%&#                                          #&%*^-....
.....-^*%&                                          &%*^-.....
....-^*%&# 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.               #@#&%*^-..
...-^*%&#@                                          @#&%*^-...
....-^*%&#                                          #&%*^-....
.....-^*%&                                          &%*^-.....
....-^*%&#                                          #&%*^-....
...-^*%&#@                                          @#&%*^-...