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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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£***^^.... ¶ @ @ @ @ ¶ ....^^***£
¶%^==..... ¶ @ @ 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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