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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 ¨¨¨.»\†%£#
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£%†\».¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.»\†%£
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ % # £      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           ¨¨¨.»\†%£#
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###£%†\».¨       ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL,        ¨.»\†%£###
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#£%†\».¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.»\†%£#
£%†\».¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.»\†%£
%†\».¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.»\†%
†\».¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.»\†
\».¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»\