#@¶&%=;»-¨ ¨-»;=%&¶@#
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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. ¨-»;=%%%%¶
##@¶&%=;-¨ ¨-;=%&¶@##
@@¶&%=;»-¨ ######################################## ¨-»;=%&¶@@
#@¶&%=;»-¨ # # ¨-»;=%&¶@#
##¶&%=;»-¨ # #@#@@@&@&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&@&@@@#@# # ¨-»;=%&¶##
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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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