¨¨¨¨¨~:§§# #§§:~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~=:§$#### ####$§:=~¨
¨~=:§$#@## ##@#$§:=~¨
¨~=:§$#@## ##@#$§:=~¨
¨~=:$##@## ##@##$:=~¨
¨~=:§$###@ GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY @###$§:=~¨
¨~=:§$###@ GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. @###$§:=~¨
¨~=:§§$$## ##$$§§:=~¨
¨¨¨~=§$##@ BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, @##$§=~¨¨¨
¨~=:§$##@# SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL #@##$§:=~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~=:§# 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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¨~=:§$##@# #@##$§:=~¨
¨~=:§$###@ @###$§:=~¨
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