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