@,,@,,,,,, ,,,,,,,@@@
,,,,,@@@@@ ,@@@@@,,@@
,@@@,,@@@@ ,,@@@,,,,,
,,@,,,,@@@ ,,,@,,@@@@
,,,,@@,,@@ @@,,,,,@@,
@@@,,,,,,@ 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. @@,,,@@,,,
@@,,,@@,,, ,,,@,,,,@@
@,,@,,,,@@ @@,,,@@,,@
,,,,,@@,,, @,,@,,,,,,
@@@@,,,,@@ ,,,,,@@@@@
@@@,,@@,,@ ,@@@,,@@@@