##,,####,, ,#,,,###,#
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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. ###,,###,#
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,#,###,##, ######################################## ,,,####,#,
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#####,,,,# # # #@@#^#^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^#^#@@# # # ###,####,#
,,,,,#,,,# @ # # # # @ #,,##,,,##
#,,,,##,,# @ # # 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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