.,~=%&#### ####&%=~,.
.,~=%%%&&# #&&%%%=~,.
.,~=%&&#¶# #¶#&&%=~,.
...~=%&### ###&%=~...
.,~=%&&### ###&&%=~,.
.,~=%&#¶## 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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