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.:«:†$&@## GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ##@&$†:«:.
.:«:†$$$&@ GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. @&$$$†:«:.
.:«:†$&#@# #@#&$†:«:.
.:«:†$&#@# BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, #@#&$†:«:.
.:«:†$&#@# SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL #@#&$†:«:.
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.:«:†$&#@@ REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS @@#&$†:«:.
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.:«:†$&&## AS MONOCHROME: A GREEN LIGHT BECKONS ##&&$†:«:.
.:«:†$&#@@ FROM BELOW. @@#&$†:«:.
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.:«:†$&#@# LONG AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM HERE. IN #@#&$†:«:.
.:«:†$&#@# THE CENTER OF THE PLANETOID, SOMETHING #@#&$†:«:.
.:«:†$&#@# DORMANT, WAITING FOR A COLLISION WITH #@#&$†:«:.
.:«:†$$$&# ANOTHER BODY. BUT NO PLANET WAS #&$$$†:«:.
.:««:::$&& REACHED, AND OVER TIME, THE SEEDLING &&$:::««:.
.:«:†$&#@# BECAME A SLUDGE. #@#&$†:«:.
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.:«:†$$$$& AND ELVES CAME AS MINERS, AND THE &$$$$†:«:.
.:«:†$&@## SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED. ##@&$†:«:.
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..::::«†&& † # # IGNITION SEQUENCE STARTED # # † &&†«::::..
.:«:†$&### : & # HOURS AGO. ELVES IN THE # & : ###&$†:«:.
.:«:†$&#@# : † & PASSENGER CABIN, NOT YET & † : #@#&$†:«:.
.:«:†$&#@# « : & SEATED. BUT SOMETHING IS & : « #@#&$†:«:.
.:«:†$&#@# « « $ WRONG. THERE IS SOMETHING $ « « #@#&$†:«:.
.:«:†$&#@# : : † GREEN AROUND THEIR MOUTHS. † : : #@#&$†:«:.
.:«:†$&@## : : : THE SLUDGE HAS BEEN SAMPLED, : : : ##@&$†:«:.
.:«:†&#@## : : « ENTERTAINED, AND THEN « : : ##@#&†:«:.
.:«:†&#@## : : : FINALLY BINGED ON. : : : ##@#&†:«:.
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.:«:†$&### . . . THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, . . . ###&$†:«:.
.....«:$&& AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES &&$:«.....
.:«:†$&#@# AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE #@#&$†:«:.
..::«:$$#@ STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND @#$$:«::..
.....:«††& ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, &††«:.....
.....«††&@ LIKE CORPSES. @&††«.....
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