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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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