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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. ,.~^%§#¶##
####§%^~., ,.~^%§####
##¶#§%^~., ######################################## ,.~^%§#¶##
#%%%^^.,,, # # ,,,.^^%%%#
#¶§%^~.,,, # #################################### # ,,,.~^%§¶#
###§^...., # # # # ,....^§###
##¶#§%^~., # # #¶¶#%#%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%#%#¶¶# # # ,.~^%§#¶##
##%%~,,,,, ¶ # # # # ¶ ,,,,,~%%##
##¶#§%^~., ¶ # # 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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