.-~\%§£¶@# #@¶£§%\~-.
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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 £%%\~~--..
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.-~\%§£¶@# 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. @¶¶£§%\~-.
.-~\%§£¶## ##¶£§%\~-.
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.-~~~%§§£@ ¶ @ @ @ @ ¶ @£§§%~~~-.
....~%§£¶¶ ¶ @ @ 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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