$%=,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,=%$
%=,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,=%
$%=,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,=%$
#$%=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=%$#
@#$%=,,,,, ,,,,,=%$#@
@@#$%=,,,, gray skies, swirling with soot. stony ,,,,=%$#@@
#@@#$%=,,, ground with no hints of vegetation. ,,,=%$#@@#
##@@#$%=,, ,,=%$#@@##
#@@#$%=,,, below the surface are the mines, ,,,=%$#@@#
@@#$%=,,,, spiraling down into the crust. small ,,,,=%$#@@
@#$%=,,,,, compared to the caverns they eventually ,,,,,=%$#@
#$%=,,,,,, reach and join with. the temperature is ,,,,,,=%$#
$%=,,,,,,, higher down here, and the view is not ,,,,,,,=%$
%=,,,,,,,, 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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@#$%=,,,,, ,,,,,=%$#@
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#@@#$%=,,, ,,,=%$#@@#