##¶&%%=~-¨ ¨-~=%%&¶##
##¶&%%=~-¨ ¨-~=%%&¶##
&%%=-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-=%%&
##¶&%%=~-¨ ¨-~=%%&¶##
&&%%%%=~-¨ ¨-~=%%%%&&
##¶&%%=~-¨ 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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¶¶&&%%=~-¨ ¨-~=%%&&¶¶