^:~~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~~:^
:~~,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,~~:
~~,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,~~
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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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^:~~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~~:^