¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#
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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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#¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨# #                                      # ###¨¨¨¨¨¨#
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#¨¨####¨¨# # #                                  # # ¨¨¨¨¨##¨¨#
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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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