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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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&&^^/^.... ....^/^^&&