##¶&%%;»:, ,:»;%%&¶##
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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. ,:»;%%%%%¶
&&%%;»:,,, ,,,:»;%%&&
#¶&%»:,,,, ######################################## ,,,,:»%&¶#
#¶%%%%;»:, # # ,:»;%%%%¶#
#¶¶&%%;»:, # ######&#&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&#&###### # ,:»;%%&¶¶#
#&%;»»:,,, # # # # ,,,:»»;%&#
&%%»»,,,,, # # #¶¶&%&%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%&%&¶¶# # # ,,,,,»»%%&
&%;;»,,,,, ¶ # # # # ¶ ,,,,,»;;%&
#¶&&%%;»:, ¶ # # 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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