^=~,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,~=^
$^=~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~=^$
&$^=~,,,,, ,,,,,~=^$&
@&$^=~,,,, ,,,,~=^$&@
@@&$^=~,,, ,,,~=^$&@@
#@@&$^=~,, GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ,,~=^$&@@#
##@@&$^=~, GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ,~=^$&@@##
#@@&$^=~,, ,,~=^$&@@#
@@&$^=~,,, BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ,,,~=^$&@@
@&$^=~,,,, SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ,,,,~=^$&@
&$^=~,,,,, COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ,,,,,~=^$&
$^=~,,,,,, REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS ,,,,,,~=^$
^=~,,,,,,, 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. ~ ~ ~ ,,,,,,,~=^
$^=~,,,,,, , , , , , , ,,,,,,~=^$
&$^=~,,,,, , , , THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, , , , ,,,,,~=^$&
@&$^=~,,,, AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES ,,,,~=^$&@
@@&$^=~,,, AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE ,,,~=^$&@@
#@@&$^=~,, STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND ,,~=^$&@@#
##@@&$^=~, ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ,~=^$&@@##
#@@&$^=~,, LIKE CORPSES. ,,~=^$&@@#
@@&$^=~,,, ,,,~=^$&@@
@&$^=~,,,, ,,,,~=^$&@
&$^=~,,,,, ,,,,,~=^$&
$^=~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~=^$
^=~,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,~=^