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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.            £&%†......
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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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