§%%;«-.... ....-«;%%§
%%;«-..... .....-«;%%
§%%;«-.... ....-«;%%§
@§%%;«-... ...-«;%%§@
#@§%%;«-.. ..-«;%%§@#
##@§%%;«-. 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. ....-«;%%§
%%;«-..... .....-«;%%
§%%;«-.... ######################################## ....-«;%%§
@§%%;«-... # # ...-«;%%§@
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#@§%%;«-.. # # #@@§%§%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%§%§@@# # # ..-«;%%§@#
@§%%;«-... @ # # # # @ ...-«;%%§@
§%%;«-.... @ # # 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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