####§%\»,, ,,»\%§####
#%\\\,,,,, ,,,,,\\\%#
#§%\,,,,,, ,,,,,,\%§#
####§%%\», ,»\%%§####
###§%%\»,, ,,»\%%§###
#%%»,,,,,, 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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