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