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