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