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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, ,,,,,,.~;*
$*;~.,,,,, LIKE CORPSES. ,,,,,.~;*$
#$*;~.,,,, ,,,,.~;*$#
@#$*;~.,,, ,,,.~;*$#@
#@#$*;~.,, ,,.~;*$#@#
##@#$*;~., ,.~;*$#@##
#@#$*;~.,, ,,.~;*$#@#