,,,,,.~=*&                                          &*=~.,,,,,
,,,,.~=*&&                                          &&*=~.,,,,
,,,.~=*&&£                                          £&&*=~.,,,
,,.~=*&&£#                                          #£&&*=~.,,
,.~=*&&£##                                          ##£&&*=~.,
,,.~=*&&£# 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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,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,