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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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