.¨.¨^-=/@# #@/=-^¨.¨.
,,«**%§¶## ##¶§%**«,,
.,-:%&£§@@ @@§£&%:-,.
,~=;†%## ###&%†;=~,
¨,,.,,~$#£ £#$~,,.,,¨
.-=*†$@@@# . . , #@@@$†*=-.
,^»=$¤@¶@# ¨ #@¶@¤$=»^,
.¨.,.~«^$@ , , @$^«~.,.¨.
¨«;$§§¶@## ^ TINY BLUE PURPLE ##@¶§§$;«¨
¨,«::=*¤@@ - 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 - ##@¤£^*-,.
¨.¨,.:¤$#@ THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD @#$¤:.,¨.¨
,~==%$## SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, ###&$%==~,
,,«;*$¶@## TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ##@¶$*;«,,
¨,~~;\§##@ @##§\;~~,¨
.¨.¨^;%£## ##£%;^¨.¨.
,-«†*£@### ###@£*†«-,
.~~/§$&@## ##@&$§/~~.
,-~\*%§¶## ##¶§%*\~-,
.^«;%*@@@# #@@@*%;«^.
.,«^=&@@@# #@@@&=^«,.
..~^^%###@ @###%^^~..
.-~=*@§@## ##@§@*=~-.
.~»^*¤¤@## ##@¤¤*^»~.