¤£*=~~.... ....~~=*£¤
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*=~~...... ......~~=*
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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. ....~~=*£¤
@¤£*=~~... ...~~=*£¤@
#@¤£*=~~.. ######################################## ..~~=*£¤@#
##@¤£*=~~. # # .~~=*£¤@##
#@¤£*=~~.. # #@#@@@¤@¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤@¤@@@#@# # ..~~=*£¤@#
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£*=~~..... ¶ @ @ @ @ ¶ .....~~=*£
*=~~...... ¶ @ @ 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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