@****^^=-, ,-=^^****@
#@@£**^=-, ,-=^**£@@#
@£££**^=-, ,-=^**£££@
£££**=-,,, ,,,-=**£££
#@@£**^=-, ,-=^**£@@#
##@£**^=-, 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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@@@£**^=-, @ @ @@@£*£********************£*£@@@ @ @ ,-=^**£@@@
££*^=----, @ @ @ @ @ @ ,----=^*££
@*^=-,,,,, @ @ @ 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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