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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. ##£¤$$/«^,
,,,^//$¤¤¤ ¤¤¤$//^,,,
,,,,,^«/$£ AND ELVES CAME AS MINERS, AND THE £$/«^,,,,,
,,,,,^^«$¤ SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED. ¤$«^^,,,,,
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,^«/$$¤£## ######################################## ##£¤$$/«^,
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,^«/$$¤£## £ # # # # £ ##£¤$$/«^,
,^«/$$¤£## £ # # 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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