#@##§*†»:. .:»†*§##@#
#*†::..... .....::†*#
@#*††:.... ....:††*#@
##@##§*»:. .:»*§##@##
#@##§*†»:. .:»†*§##@#
#@##§*†»:. 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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