-«†%%##### #####%%†«-
.-«†%%#### ####%%†«-.
..-«†%%### ###%%†«-..
...-«†%%## ##%%†«-...
....-«†%%# #%%†«-....
...-«†%%## 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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