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