,.,¨,,.,¨. .¨,.,,¨,.,
,.,,.¨,.,¨ ¨,.,¨.,,.,
,¨.,.¨,¨., ,.¨,¨.,.¨,
«,¨,,..¨., ,.¨..,,¨,«
*~:..,¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨,..:~*
&$=,,.¨.¨. ¨ . . .¨.¨.,,=$&
@$=~^,,,,. , .,,,,^~=$@
@@$^«-¨¨,¨ ¨ . ¨,¨¨-«^$@@
@@&@==~.., † 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. ,,..,.¨..~
.,¨.,¨..¨¨ ¨¨..¨,.¨,.
...,,,,,., ,.,,,,,...
¨,..¨,.,., ,.,.,¨..,¨
¨,,¨.,,,,. .,,,,.¨,,¨
..,..¨¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨¨..,..
-,.¨..,,¨, ,¨,,..¨.,-
~:.¨,¨,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,¨,¨.:~
%»~..,¨,.¨ ¨.,¨,..~»%
§^-,¨¨¨.¨, ,¨.¨¨¨,-^§
&*=«^.¨.¨, ,¨.¨.^«=*&