###§%%=»:, ,:»=%%§###
#%%%=»»»:, ,:»»»=%%%#
#%%»»,,,,, ,,,,,»»%%#
§§§%%%=»:, ,:»=%%%§§§
§§§%===»:, ,:»===%§§§
###§%%=»:, 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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