#@§%$^«,,,                                          ,,,«^$%§@#
##@§%$^«,,                                          ,,«^$%§@##
#@§%$^«,,,                                          ,,,«^$%§@#
@§%$^«,,,,                                          ,,,,«^$%§@
§%$^«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«^$%§
%$^«,,,,,, gray skies,  swirling  with  soot. stony ,,,,,,«^$%
$^«,,,,,,, ground  with  no  hints  of  vegetation. ,,,,,,,«^$
^«,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,«^
$^«,,,,,,, below   the  surface  are   the   mines, ,,,,,,,«^$
%$^«,,,,,, spiraling  down  into  the  crust. small ,,,,,,«^$%
§%$^«,,,,, compared to  the caverns they eventually ,,,,,«^$%§
@§%$^«,,,, reach and  join with. the temperature is ,,,,«^$%§@
#@§%$^«,,, higher  down  here, and  the view is not ,,,«^$%§@#
##@§%$^«,, as  monochrome: a  green  light  beckons ,,«^$%§@##
#@§%$^«,,,                from below.               ,,,«^$%§@#
@§%$^«,,,,                                          ,,,,«^$%§@
§%$^«,,,,, long ago, there was a lifeform  here. in ,,,,,«^$%§
%$^«,,,,,, the center  of the planetoid,  something ,,,,,,«^$%
$^«,,,,,,, dormant, waiting  for a  collision  with ,,,,,,,«^$
^«,,,,,,,, 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    « , , ,,,,,,«^$%
$^«,,,,,,, , , ,      finally binged on.      , , , ,,,,,,,«^$
^«,,,,,,,, , , ,                              , , , ,,,,,,,,«^
$^«,,,,,,, , , , the engines are burning hot, , , , ,,,,,,,«^$
%$^«,,,,,,         and the ship accelerates         ,,,,,,«^$%
§%$^«,,,,,           away. the elves have           ,,,,,«^$%§
@§%$^«,,,,        strapped themselves in, and       ,,,,«^$%§@
#@§%$^«,,,       are lying completely still,        ,,,«^$%§@#
##@§%$^«,,              like corpses.               ,,«^$%§@##
#@§%$^«,,,                                          ,,,«^$%§@#
@§%$^«,,,,                                          ,,,,«^$%§@
§%$^«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«^$%§
%$^«,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,«^$%
$^«,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,«^$