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@&§§§§==^, GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ,^==§§§§&@
£§===^^^,, GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ,,^^^===§£
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##@£§§==^, 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. ,,,,,,==§&
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&§=^^^,,,, 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. ^ ^ ^ ,^==§§&£@#
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##£&§§==^, , , , 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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