,#,##,,,##                                          ,,##,#,,,#
####,#,,#,                                          #,#,###,,#
,,,,###,##                                          ,####,,#,#
#,,,#,,##,                                          ,#,,,#,###
,#,,##,#,#                                          ###,,###,,
,##,#,#### 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.               ,###,,,,##
,,,#,##,,#                                          ##,,#,,,#,
,,,###,#,#                                          #,#,##,,##
#,,#,,####                                          ,####,#,#,
##,##,#,,,                                          ##,,,#####
,,##,###,,                                          #,#,,#,,,,