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