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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. ££&&$$*»-¨
¨-»*$&@£## ##£@&$*»-¨
¨--»»»»*&£ £&*»»»»--¨
¨-»*$&@£## ##£@&$*»-¨
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