..........                                          ..........
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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.           ..........
..........                                          ..........
.......... ######################################## ..........
.........~ #                                      # ~.........
........~« # #################################### # «~........
.......~«† # #                                  # # †«~.......
......~«†% # # #@@#%#%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%#%#@@# # # %†«~......
.....~«†%% @ # #                              # # @ %%†«~.....
....~«†%%# @ # #   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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.......~«†                                          †«~.......
......~«†%                                          %†«~......