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