#####,#,#,                                          ,#,,,#,,,#
,,,,#####,                                          ##,,##,,#,
,,,#,,,,##                                          ,#,#,#,##,
,,##,,,#,#                                          #######,#,
,#,#,,####                                          ,,,,,,###,
####,#,,,# 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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