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