,..-:%$#¶@ @¶#$%:-..,
.-«:†%££@# #@££%†:«-.
,¨.=*†&@@# #@@&†*=.¨,
.¨¨~=\†*#£ £#*†\=~¨¨.
¨¨,¨^~†§%£ £%§†~^¨,¨¨
.,.,..-†*§ . , . §*†-..,.,.
,.,¨¨,^~=% . %=~^,¨¨,.,
,¨¨¨,,¨^=\ , , \=^¨,,¨¨¨,
,..,...,:= ^ 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.#,# # ¶£$$/=:,,.
.,.,,«^=%¤ ¨, . , . , .. , ¤%=^«,,.,.
¨¨¨,¨--^†% .. SHE FEEDS¨ON¨THE PARTICLES WHEN, : %†^--¨,¨¨¨
,,.,,.,-*% ,¨ THEY HIT HER STRETCHED SKIN. , . %*-,.,,.,,
..¨,.¨¨,»† ,¨ AND BEHIND,HERE IS¨A SHADOW, AND : †»,¨¨.,¨..
,..,¨.¨,.~ ,IN THAT SHADOW¨IS THE SPACE STATION., ~.,¨.¨,..,
¨,,,,,.-»^ . . . . . , ^»-.,,,,,¨
,..¨¨¨~«:* ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ : *:«~¨¨¨..,
¨¨,¨,.~;*@ A MONTH LATER,¨THE EARTH IS STILL.DARK. @*;~.,¨,¨¨
,,.¨:»=§£# THERE'S NO CONTACT, . : #£§=»:¨.,,
,¨.^-\%%§# MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,, #§%%\-^.¨,
,¨:«\§*£#@ - CONFIRMING THAT SOME , @#£*§\«:¨,
¨.=^§¤£### , SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. ###£¤§^=.¨
.,.-*%§&@# , ¨ #@&§%*-.,.
.,,:~†$&@£ , THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - £@&$†~:,,.
..¨,.~†§$¤ THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD ¤$§†~.,¨..
¨¨¨,.,~*^% SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, %^*~,.,¨¨¨
.,¨,.,-~== TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ==~-,.,¨,.
.,.¨.,..~\ \~..,.¨.,.
,.¨¨,,.,-» »-,.,,¨¨.,
,,,.,.,,»^ ^»,,.,.,,,
¨¨¨¨..,-^† †^-,..¨¨¨¨
,¨,..-=*$$ $$*=-..,¨,
..¨.,=;*£@ @£*;=,.¨..
,,,,-†§%£¶ ¶£%§†-,,,,
,,:-;=$@¶# #¶@$=;-:,,
.:==*$#@## ##@#$*==:.
,¨,«†^&¤¶# #¶¤&^†«,¨,