¨,~**¤£@## ##@£¤**~,¨
,..~†=%#@@ @@#%=†~..,
,¨¨~~;†¤@@ @@¤†;~~¨¨,
.¨,¨,~=^&& &&^=~,¨,¨.
.,.,¨-~/*§ §*/~-¨,.,.
¨...,¨~«†= . . , =†«~¨,...¨
..¨,,.,^-† . †-^,.,,¨..
..¨,,...-= . , =-...,,¨..
¨.¨¨¨,,¨.~ = TINY BLUE PURPLE ~.¨,,¨¨¨.¨
,¨..,.¨,~~ . SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE . ~~,¨.,..¨,
¨.¨.¨,¨~~* HOVERING IN ORBIT AROUND- *~~¨,¨.¨.¨
....,..«:* THE EARTH, SPINNING, CHASING. *:«..,....
¨,.,¨^~†%¤ , ¨ ¤%†~^¨,.,¨
¨,,,.«/^§& LOOKS AT THE SUN WITH LASER EYES, &§^/«.,,,¨
¨.,:-^%%#@ LOOKS AT THE EARTH'S POWER GRID,. @#%%^-:,.¨
,¨-~††$@£# . . ¨ #£@$††~-¨,
¨^~\=### SAYS "HMM...." = ####&=\~^¨
,.^~†%$@@# . #@@$%†~^.,
,¨,,=;†¶ * , ¶#&†;=,,¨,
,,.¨^=;*@£ , : £@*;=^¨.,,
...,,:»/†§ SHE SWIMS TOWARD THE ISS. §†/»:,,...
..,,¨.-«†§ MATCHES VELOCITY, PHASES THROUGH THE §†«-.¨,,..
..,.¨.,^=* WALL TO A POCKOCMOC SCIENTIST, ¨ *=^,.¨.,..
.,¨,¨,,¨^« , , «^¨,,¨,¨,.
,..,,.¨,,, SHE SAYS, "HELLO", ,,,¨.,,..,
..¨¨.,,¨^» SHE SAYS "ARE YOU AWARE THAT »^¨,,.¨¨..
,.¨.¨¨¨:«; THERE'S A BURST ;«:¨¨¨.¨.,
.¨.,,¨,~\§ ~ COMING?" % §\~,¨,,.¨.
.¨¨¨.-«:*¤ ~ ¤*:«-.¨¨¨.
¨,.,^~/*$& ~ AND THE STATION PERSONNEL &$*/~^,.,¨
,.¨-»/*@ ARE LIKE, NO, WHAT, = #&@*/»-¨.,
.,^»†§§¤¶@ WHO ARE YOU, ETCETERA, ETCETERA. @¶¤§§†»^,.
¨.»\*%§@@# † = #@@§%*\».¨
,¨~~^†$§## SHE SAYS="I CAN PROTECT YOU ##§$†^~~¨,
,¨..~;=&§@ : IN YOUR TIN CAN, † † @§&=;~..¨,
¨.,.^~**%§ BUT YOUR PLANETARY FRIENDS, £ §%**~^.,.¨
.¨.,..-^=* THEIR GRID WILL BE BURNED." % *=^-..,.¨.
¨.¨¨¨.,-=^ % § † * ^=-,.¨¨¨.¨
.,.....-~* SHE SAYS "YOU WILL BE ALONE ¤ # *~-.....,.
,.¨,.,...« & FOR A WHILE". % * «...,.,¨.,
,,,,,¨,.,^ # § @ ^,.,¨,,,,,
...¨.¨¨¨.= & § @ § # £ =§ * % =.¨¨¨.¨...
...,.,.:-\ ~^THE SELKIE PHASES BACK OUT,,--:£.¤-.,: \-:.,.,...
,¨,,..~»:= £:¤\§;#\¤;£SPREADS HER MEMBRANES,*&/@=£= =:»~..,,¨,
,.¨¨¨,~^$¤ @*%§%&%$$$&£LIKE FLUID INSECT WINGS,$£$% ¤$^~,¨¨¨.,
¨,¨,-~:§*§ #¨,# #¨A DARK GLIMMERING LASERDISC.#,# # §*§:~-,¨,¨
¨.,.-^*$&@ .. , ¨ , ¨ ,. , @&$*^-.,.¨
,,:=^^%### ¨, SHE FEEDS,ON.THE PARTICLES WHEN¨ ~ ###%^^=:,,
.,»:=$£### ,, THEY HIT HER STRETCHED SKIN. ¨ ^ ###£$=:»,.
,.^-\*$£## ,, AND BEHIND.HERE IS.A SHADOW, AND . ##£$*\-^.,
,¨..«;^$#@ ¨IN THAT SHADOW,IS THE SPACE STATION.^ @#$^;«..¨,
¨,...=:=$¤ ¨ . . ¨ ¨ , ¤$=:=...,¨
,,,.,-«*=¤ , , . ¨ , ¤=*«-,.,,,
,,,.¨,,»/= A MONTH LATER,¨THE EARTH IS STILL,DARK. =/»,,¨.,,,
¨.¨.¨,,~»† THERE'S NO CONTACT, . - †»~,,¨.¨.¨
,,....¨¨^- MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,~ -^¨¨....,,
¨¨.,,,,.,: , CONFIRMING THAT SOME , :,.,,,,.¨¨
¨¨¨.¨.¨.~- . SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. -~.¨.¨.¨¨¨
..¨¨¨,¨,~^ ~ . ^~,¨,¨¨¨..
,¨.¨,,.-*^ , THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - ^*-.,,¨.¨,
¨..¨,.»:%% THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD %%:».,¨..¨
,¨,,--/%$& SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, &$%/--,,¨,
,.,:~\§@#¶ TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ¶#@§\~:,.,
..,»\*#@ @##&*\»,..
.~=/^£## ###&£^/=~.
..~=;%&@¶# #¶@&%;=~..
..¨:»:=# ##&=:»:¨..
,¨.¨^=\^%§ §%^\=^¨.¨,
..¨,,,~^%¤ ¤%^~,,,¨..
,.¨,...-*§ §*-...,¨.,
,.¨....,-^ ^-,....¨.,
¨,,..,.,~~ ~~,.,..,,¨
.,¨..¨¨.,, ,,.¨¨..¨,.