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