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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, ##£§¤*:=.,
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