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