...«\§¤§@#                                          #@§¤§\«...
..«\§¤§@##                                          ##@§¤§\«..
...«\§¤§@#                                          #@§¤§\«...
....«\§¤§@                                          @§¤§\«....
.....«\§¤§                                          §¤§\«.....
......«\§¤ 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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.....«\§¤§                                          §¤§\«.....