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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. ~ ~ ~ ,,,,,,,~-†
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£*†-~,,,,, , , , 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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