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,,,,£,££,, 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.              ,,,,,,,£££
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