,,«:*%££##                                          ##££%*:«,,
,,,«:*%££#                                          #££%*:«,,,
,,,,«:*%££                                          ££%*:«,,,,
,,,,,«:*%£                                          £%*:«,,,,,
,,,,«:*%££                                          ££%*:«,,,,
,,,«:*%££# 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.              #££%*:«,,,
,,,,«:*%££                                          ££%*:«,,,,
,,,,,«:*%£                                          £%*:«,,,,,
,,,,«:*%££                                          ££%*:«,,,,
,,,«:*%££#                                          #££%*:«,,,
,,«:*%££##                                          ##££%*:«,,