@,@@@@@,@@                                          @@@,@@@,,@
,@@,,,,@@,                                          @,,@@,,@,@
@@,@,,,@,@                                          @@,@,@,@@@
,,@@@,,@@@                                          @,@@@@@@,,
,,@,,@,@,,                                          @@@,,,,,@,
,,@@,@@@@, 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.              ,,@,,@,,@,
,,@@@,@@@@                                          @,@@,@@,@@
@,@,,@@,,,                                          ,@@,@@,@@,
@@@@,@,@,,                                          ,@,@@,@@,@
,,,,@@@@@,                                          ,@@@,@@,@@
@,,,@,,,,@                                          @@,,@@,@@,