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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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....^**$¤£ £ # # # # £ £¤$**^....
.^»**$¤££# £ # # THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED, # # £ #££¤$**»^.
.^»***$¤¤¤ $ # £ 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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