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