####.##..#                                          ##.#.#..#.
.###..#.##                                          .#.#.#.##.
#.##.##..#                                          ##.#.#..#.
#..#..#.##                                          .#.#.#.##.
#.##.##..#                                          ##.#.#..#.
#..#..#.## 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.               .#.#.#.##.
#.##.##..#                                          ##.#.#..#.
#..#..#.##                                          .#.#.#.##.
#.##.##..#                                          ##.#.#..#.
#..#..#.##                                          .#.#.#.##.
#.##.##..#                                          ##.#.#..#.