&&&$$//~:, ,:~//$$&&&
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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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