#@¤^;~:,,, ,,,:~;^¤@#
@¤^;~:,,,, ,,,,:~;^¤@
¤^;~:,,,,, ,,,,,:~;^¤
^;~:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:~;^
¤^;~:,,,,, ,,,,,:~;^¤
@¤^;~:,,,, 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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