#¤¤^»»»,,, ,,,»»»^¤¤#
#¤$$:^^^,, ,,^^^:$$¤#
¤¤$^:^,,,, ,,,,^:^$¤¤
###¤$^:»^, ,^»:^$¤###
#¤¤¤$^:»^, ,^»:^$¤¤¤#
####¤^:»^, 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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###¤$^:»^, ,^»:^$¤###