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