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