.@....@... @@@.....@.
..@....@.. @.@@.....@
@..@....@. ..@@@.....
.@..@....@ ..@.@@....
..@..@.... ....@@@...
...@..@... 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. ...@...@..
.....@.@@. ....@...@.
.......@@@ @....@...@
@......@.@ .@....@...
.@.......@ ..@....@..
..@......@ @..@....@.