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