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