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##¶§%$=--¨ GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ¨--=$%§¶##
¶¶%=--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--=%¶¶
###¶§%=--¨ BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ¨--=%§¶###
##¶§%$=--¨ SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ¨--=$%§¶##
#¶¶§%$=--¨ COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ¨--=$%§¶¶#
##¶§%$=--¨ REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS ¨--=$%§¶##
##¶§%$=--¨ HIGHER DOWN HERE, AND THE VIEW IS NOT ¨--=$%§¶##
§$$=-¨¨¨¨¨ AS MONOCHROME: A GREEN LIGHT BECKONS ¨¨¨¨¨-=$$§
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§$$===---¨ ¨---===$$§
§$-----¨¨¨ LONG AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM HERE. IN ¨¨¨-----$§
#§$=-¨¨¨¨¨ THE CENTER OF THE PLANETOID, SOMETHING ¨¨¨¨¨-=$§#
¶¶%%$==--¨ DORMANT, WAITING FOR A COLLISION WITH ¨--==$%%¶¶
#¶§$=--¨¨¨ ANOTHER BODY. BUT NO PLANET WAS ¨¨¨--=$§¶#
§%$===---¨ REACHED, AND OVER TIME, THE SEEDLING ¨---===$%§
¶%$--¨¨¨¨¨ BECAME A SLUDGE. ¨¨¨¨¨--$%¶
§%=---¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨---=%§
##¶§%$=--¨ AND ELVES CAME AS MINERS, AND THE ¨--=$%§¶##
##¶§%$=--¨ SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED. ¨--=$%§¶##
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¶¶§§%$=--¨ ¶ # # THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED, # # ¶ ¨--=$%§§¶¶
¶§$=---¨¨¨ % # ¶ PREPARED FOR LAUNCH, ¶ # % ¨¨¨---=$§¶
###§%$=--¨ $ ¶ ¶ IGNITION SEQUENCE STARTED ¶ ¶ $ ¨--=$%§###
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##¶§%$=--¨ - = § SEATED. BUT SOMETHING IS § = - ¨--=$%§¶##
##¶§%$=--¨ - - % WRONG. THERE IS SOMETHING % - - ¨--=$%§¶##
¶¶§%$-¨¨¨¨ - - $ GREEN AROUND THEIR MOUTHS. $ - - ¨¨¨¨-$%§¶¶
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§$=---¨¨¨¨ AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES ¨¨¨¨---=$§
§$-----¨¨¨ AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE ¨¨¨-----$§
##¶§%$=--¨ STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND ¨--=$%§¶##
##¶§%$=--¨ ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ¨--=$%§¶##
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