,,,.~;%¤§@ @§¤%;~.,,,
,,.~;%¤§@# #@§¤%;~.,,
,.~;%¤§@## ##@§¤%;~.,
,,.~;%¤§@# #@§¤%;~.,,
,,,.~;%¤§@ @§¤%;~.,,,
,,,,.~;%¤§ 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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