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