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