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