,,~=†££###                                          ###££†=~,,
,,,,,~†££#                                          #££†~,,,,,
,,~~===†££                                          ££†===~~,,
,,,~~~=†££                                          ££†=~~~,,,
,,~=†££###                                          ###££†=~,,
,,,,,~†££# 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.               ###££†=~,,
,,~=†££###                                          ###££†=~,,
,,~=†££###                                          ###££†=~,,
,,~=†££###                                          ###££†=~,,
,,~=†££###                                          ###££†=~,,
,,~=†££###                                          ###££†=~,,