@##¤%=:»,, ,,»:=%¤##@
#@#¤%=:»,, ,,»:=%¤#@#
#@#¤%=:»,, ,,»:=%¤#@#
#@#¤%=:»,, ,,»:=%¤#@#
#@#¤%=:»,, ,,»:=%¤#@#
##@¤%=:»,, 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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