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