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