.:~:^@#¶##                                          ##¶#@^:~:.
.:~:^@####                                          ####@^:~:.
.:~:^#¶###                                          ###¶#^:~:.
.:~:^@#¶##                                          ##¶#@^:~:.
.:~:^@#¶##                                          ##¶#@^:~:.
.:~:^@###¶ 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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