@¨@¨@@¨@@¨                                          @@¨@¨@¨@@@
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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.           ¨@¨@¨@¨@¨@
@¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨@¨@¨¨
@¨@¨@@¨@@¨ ######################################## ¨@¨@¨@¨@¨@
@¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨ #                                      # ¨@¨@¨@¨@¨¨
@¨@¨@@¨@@¨ # ######@#@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#@###### # ¨@¨@¨@¨@¨@
@¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨ # #                                  # # ¨@¨@¨@¨@¨¨
@¨@¨@@¨@@¨ # # #¶¶@§@§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§@§@¶¶# # # ¨@¨@¨@¨@¨@
@¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨ ¶ # #                              # # ¶ ¨@¨@¨@¨@¨¨
@¨@¨@@¨@@¨ ¶ # #   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.              ¨@¨@¨@¨@¨¨
@¨@¨@@¨@@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨@¨@¨@
@¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨@¨@¨¨
@¨@¨@@¨@@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨@¨@¨@
@¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨@¨@¨¨
@¨@¨@@¨@@¨                                          ¨@¨@¨@¨@¨@