¨¨¨¨¨~-**@ @**-~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~-** **-~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-* *-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~- -~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~ ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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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