,,,,^%%%%#                                          #%%%%^,,,,
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,,,,,^^%£#                                          #£%^^,,,,,
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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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,,-^%%£### # ######£#££££££££££££££££££££#£###### # ###£%%^-,,
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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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