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