¨¨¨¨~=/§@£ £@§/=~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~=/§@£@ @£@§/=~¨¨¨
¨¨~=/§@£@@ @@£@§/=~¨¨
¨~=/§@£@@# #@@£@§/=~¨
¨¨~=/§@£@@ @@£@§/=~¨¨
¨¨¨~=/§@£@ 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. ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~= =~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=/ /=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~=/§ §/=~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~=/§@ @§/=~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~=/§@£ £@§/=~¨¨¨¨