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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. .&.&.&.&.&
.&.&.&&.&. &&.&.&.&.&
.&.&..&.&. .&.&.&.&.&
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