@†-....... .......-†@
#@*†-..... .....-†*@#
##@@*†;-,. .,-;†*@@##
###@@*†;,. .,;†*@@###
@††;,,,,,. .,,,,,;††@
##@@*†;-,. 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. ..,-;;;*@@
##@@*†;-,. .,-;†*@@##
##@@*†;-,. .,-;†*@@##
##@@*†;-,. .,-;†*@@##
#@†††--,.. ..,--†††@#
@†;-...... ......-;†@