,,,,,,&&,,                                          ,&,&&,,&&,
,,,,,&,&,&                                          ,&,,&,&,&,
,,,,&&,&,,                                          ,&,&&,&,&,
,,,&,&,&,&                                          ,&,,&,&,&,
,,&&,&,&,,                                          ,&,&&,&,&,
,&,&,&,&,& 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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