###@%§;~,. .,~;§%@###
####@%§~,. .,~§%@####
####@%§~,. .,~§%@####
@§§~,..... .....,~§§@
####@%§~,. .,~§%@####
@@@@%§;~,. 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. .,~;;;%%##
###@%§;~,. .,~;§%@###
@§;~,,.... ....,,~;§@
###@%§;~,. .,~;§%@###
@@@%;,,... ...,,;%@@@
##@%;;~~,. .,~~;;%@##