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