#§%^»^,,,, ,,,,^»^%§#
##§%^»^,,, ,,,^»^%§##
###§%^»^,, ,,^»^%§###
####§%^»^, ,^»^%§####
###§%^»^,, ,,^»^%§###
##§%^»^,,, 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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