¶@%%%%†~^, ,^~†%%%%@¶
##¶@%%†~^, ,^~†%%@¶##
@@%%†~^,,, ,,,^~†%%@@
##¶@%%†~^, ,^~†%%@¶##
@@@%%~,,,, ,,,,~%%@@@
###¶@%†~^, 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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##¶@%%†~^, ,^~†%%@¶##
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