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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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