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