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