#,,,,,,### ,#,,,,,,,,
,,####,,## ,,,######,
#,,##,,,,, ,#,,####,,
,,,,,,#### ,,,,,##,,,
#####,,### ,###,,,,##
####,,,,## 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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