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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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.:«†$£@@@@                                          @@@@£$†«:.
.:«†$£@@@#                                          #@@@£$†«:.
.:«†$£@@@#                                          #@@@£$†«:.
....:†$@@@                                          @@@$†:....