¨¨~~»^^$¤@ @¤$^^»~~¨¨
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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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¨~»;^$¤¶@@ ######################################## @@¶¤$^;»~¨
¨~»;^$¤@## # # ##@¤$^;»~¨
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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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¨~»;^$¤¶@@ @@¶¤$^;»~¨
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