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