#§*»»--,,, ,,,--»»*§#
###§£*†»-, ,-»†*£§###
###§£*†»-, ,-»†*£§###
§*»»»,,,,, ,,,,,»»»*§
##£†---,,, ,,,---†£##
#§£*†-,,,, 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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