....~~»†##                                          ##†»~~....
.~»=†$#@##                                          ##@#$†=»~.
.~»=†$####                                          ####$†=»~.
.....~=$@@                                          @@$=~.....
.~»=†$#@##                                          ##@#$†=»~.
.~»=†$#@## gray  skies, swirling  with  soot. stony ##@#$†=»~.
....»»»=†# 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.               @#††=»»~~.
....~==$$#                                          #$$==~....
....~~==$@                                          @$==~~....
.~»=†$#@##                                          ##@#$†=»~.
.~»=††$$##                                          ##$$††=»~.
...~~~=††#                                          #††=~~~...