.¨.¨,¨¨¨,, ,,¨¨¨,¨.¨.
,..,¨¨,,.. ..,,¨¨,..,
^¨,,.¨,¨,. .,¨,¨.,,¨^
-^.,,,..¨, ,¨..,,,.^-
;=,,¨¨.,., ,.,.¨¨,,=;
†/».¨,¨¨¨¨ . ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨,¨.»/†
£^*»^.,..¨ ¨ ¨..,.^»*^£
¤¤%/~,,,¨, , ¨ ,¨,,,~/%¤¤
@¤$†:~,.., * TINY BLUE PURPLE ,..,~:†$¤@
##£$$^»^¨, - SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE , ,¨^»^$$£##
##@£%**~-. 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. ,.,,.....^
.,¨.,,¨,.¨ ¨.,¨,,.¨,.
.,..¨..... .....¨..,.
¨...¨...¨. .¨...¨...¨
,.¨,...¨¨. .¨¨...,¨.,
.,,¨,..¨,, ,,¨..,¨,,.
^¨¨¨.¨.¨,. .,¨.¨.¨¨¨^
~~..¨..,¨¨ ¨¨,..¨..~~
=-~.¨.¨,¨, ,¨,¨.¨.~-=
%/«,.,¨,,¨ ¨,,¨,.,«/%
%=\~~,,¨., ,.¨,,~~\=%