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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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