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