#@#@$^†«^, ,^«†^$@#@#
#$†«^,,,,, ,,,,,^«†$#
###@$^†«^, ,^«†^$@###
#@#@$^†«^, ,^«†^$@#@#
@@#@$^†«^, ,^«†^$@#@@
##@#$^†«^, GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ,^«†^$#@##
@##@$^†«^, GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ,^«†^$@##@
@^†«^,,,,, ,,,,,^«†^@
#@#@$^†«^, BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ,^«†^$@#@#
###@$^†«^, SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ,^«†^$@###
@^†^,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,^†$@#
##@#$^†«^, ,^«†^$#@##
#@#@$^†«^, ,^«†^$@#@#
@@#@$^†«^, ,^«†^$@#@@
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@@#@$^†«^, ,^«†^$@#@@