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