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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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