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