#,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,#,,,
,,######## #####,,,#,
#,,####### ####,,#,,,
,,,,###### ###,,,,,#,
###,,##### ##,,###,,,
,#,,,,#### 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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########## ##########