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In the end, any particular planet must die It may be a quick death as its sun explodes It may be a slow death, as its sun sinks into decay and its oceans lock in ice In the latter case, at least, intelligent life has a chance of survival

The direction of survivalsun or to a planet of another sun altogether This particular avenue is closed if the planet is unfortunate enough to be the only significant body rotating about its primary and if, at the tiht-years

The direction of survival may be inward, into the crust of the planet That is always available A new horound and the heat of the planet&039;s core can be tapped for energy Thousands of yearssun cools slowly

But planetary war deeper and deeper until the planet is dead through and through

The ti

On the surface of the planet, wisps of neon blew listlessly, barely able to stir the pools of oxygen that collected in the lowlands Occasionally, during the long day, the crusted sun would flare briefly into a dull red glow and the oxygen pools would bubble a little

During the long night, a blue-white oxygen frost formed over the pools and on the bare rock, a neon dew forht hundred miles below the surface, a last bubble of warmth and life existed