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