###¤*%;«., ,.«;%*¤###
#¤%%;;«.,, ,,.«;;%%¤#
##¤¤*%;«., ,.«;%*¤¤##
¤*%%%«.,,, ,,,.«%%%*¤
##*;.,,,,, ,,,,,.;*##
###¤*%;«., 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. ,.«;%*¤###
####¤%;«., ,.«;%¤####
##*;;«.,,, ,,,.«;;*##
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