¨¨~==%$@## ##@$%==~¨¨
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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. @$%==~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~==%$ $%==~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~==% ######################################## %==~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~==%$ # # $%==~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~==%$@ # ######&#&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&#&###### # @$%==~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~==%$@# # # # # #@$%==~¨¨¨
¨¨~==%$@## # # #@@&%&%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%&%&@@# # # ##@$%==~¨¨
¨~==%$@### @ # # # # @ ###@$%==~¨
¨¨~==%$@## @ # # 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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