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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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