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##@##§%«,. GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY .,«%§##@##
@##%««««,. GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. .,««««%##@
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##@#§%;«,. 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. .,«;%§####
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@#§;;,.... 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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#@##§%;«,. § @ # 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. % , , .,«;%§##@@
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#§;«««.... . . . 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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