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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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##¶¤¤$/»., ######################################## ,.»/$¤¤¶##
##¶¤¤$/»., # # ,.»/$¤¤¶##
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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. . . . ,,,,,../¤¤
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##¶¤¤$/»., , , , THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, , , , ,.»/$¤¤¶##
##¶¤¤$/»., AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES ,.»/$¤¤¶##
#¤¤¤¤$/»., AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE ,.»/$¤¤¤¤#
###¤¤$/»., STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND ,.»/$¤¤###
##¶¤¤$/»., ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ,.»/$¤¤¶##
###¤¤$/»., LIKE CORPSES. ,.»/$¤¤###
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