,@,@@,,@@, @@,@@@@,@@
@@@,@,@,@@ ,@@,,,@@,@
,,@@@@@@,@ @,@,,@,@@,
,@,,,,,@@@ @@@,@@@,@,
@@,,,,@,,, ,,@@,,@@@,
,@,,,@@,,, 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. @@@,@@,,,@
@,,@,,,,,, ,,@@,@,,@@
@,@@,,,,,, ,@,@@@,@,,
@@,@,,,,,@ @@@,,@@@,@
,@@@,,,,@, ,,@,@,,@@,
@,,@,,,@@@ ,@@@@,@,@,