,.,,¨,:»;% %;»:,¨,,.,
¨¨¨.,¨¨^«; ;«^¨¨,.¨¨¨
..,¨..,.,~ ~,.,..¨,..
.,,,,.¨¨,- -,¨¨.,,,,.
,¨¨¨...¨., ,.¨...¨¨¨,
.,,,.,.¨,¨ . ¨ ¨ ¨,¨.,.,,,.
,,¨,.,,.¨. . .¨.,,.,¨,,
,.¨¨¨¨¨¨,. . . .,¨¨¨¨¨¨.,
,¨.,,.¨... § 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. .¨,¨¨.¨,.,
¨,,¨¨.,,., ,.,,.¨¨,,¨
¨.¨..¨¨.¨. .¨.¨¨..¨.¨
...¨...¨¨, ,¨¨...¨...
.,¨,.,.¨,~ ~,¨.,.,¨,.
,..,,¨,,~: :~,,¨,,..,
.¨¨,..,==% %==,..,¨¨.
,¨,.¨:~=§* *§=~:¨.,¨,
.,,,:=\%$£ £$%\=:,,,.
¨,,~=;%$¤@ @¤$%;=~,,¨
.¨~«==*&## ##&*==«~¨.