##¤§/=,..¨ ¨..,=/§¤##
££^;~:,,¨, ,¨,,:~;^££
@%^~,¨.¨¨. .¨¨.¨,~^%@
$;-.,,,¨,¨ ¨,¨,,,.-;$
=-:¨¨¨,¨,. .,¨,¨¨¨:-=
%=~~¨.,..¨ ¨ ¨ , ¨..,.¨~~=%
§§\-.,¨,,. ¨ .,,¨,.-\§§
¤§*\«,¨,¨¨ , ¨ ¨¨,¨,«\*§¤
£££%*»^,,, $ 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, ¨.¨¨~~\$$#
$*==^,,¨,. TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. .,¨,,^==*$
%:~,¨.¨.¨, ,¨.¨.¨,~:%
\-^,¨¨..,¨ ¨,..¨¨,^-\
*/~~¨.¨¨., ,.¨¨.¨~~/*
$^/=:,¨.,. .,.¨,:=/^$
§$=^«-¨,.. ..,¨-«^=$§
#§%$:~-¨¨. .¨¨-~:$%§#
#£££=;«^.¨ ¨.^«;=£££#
##¶@$%:~:¨ ¨:~:%$@¶##
@£¤£§:«,,. .,,«:§£¤£@
¶#$=†«,¨.¨ ¨.¨,«†=$#¶