.,,,^^$$¤@ @¤$$^^,,,.
.,-^%$¤#@# #@#¤$%^-,.
.,-^%$¤#@# #@#¤$%^-,.
..,-^^^%$¤ ¤$%^^^-,..
.,-^%$¤#@# #@#¤$%^-,.
.,-^%$¤##@ GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY @##¤$%^-,.
.,-^%¤#@## 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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....-%%%%¤ ¤%%%%-....