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##£¤§*==-¨ GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ¨-==*§¤£##
##£¤§*==-¨ GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ¨-==*§¤£##
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#¤**=--¨¨¨ 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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##£¤§*==-¨ ######################################## ¨-==*§¤£##
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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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