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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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##@£§%=~-. @ @ @££§*§********************§*§££@ @ @ .-~=%§£@##
#@£§%*=~-. £ @ @ @ @ £ .-~=*%§£@#
#@£§%*=~-. £ @ @ 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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