¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ##¨¨###¨¨¨
########## ¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨##
#########¨ ####¨¨¨¨¨#
########¨¨ ###¨¨###¨¨
¨######¨¨# ##¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨
¨¨####¨¨¨¨ 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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