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