.¨,¨¨.,,¨, ,¨,,.¨¨,¨.
..,,,¨¨... ...¨¨,,,..
¨¨,¨,¨¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨¨,¨,¨¨
,,.,¨..,¨¨ ¨¨,..¨,.,,
,.,,.¨¨.¨, ,¨.¨¨.,,.,
,,,¨,,.,¨, . , . ,¨,.,,¨,,,
..,,,,.,:~ . ~:,.,,,,..
¨,,¨..¨~~: . . :~~¨..¨,,¨
.,,.¨¨^~†$ = 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. *†»,,,¨¨¨,
¨¨¨.¨.,-=; ;=-,.¨.¨¨¨
,¨,,..,.-» »-.,..,,¨,
.,,¨.,..,, ,,..,.¨,,.
¨..,¨¨.¨¨, ,¨¨.¨¨,..¨
,.,¨¨¨,..¨ ¨..,¨¨¨,.,
¨¨.¨.¨¨.¨. .¨.¨¨.¨.¨¨
,.,,,..,¨¨ ¨¨,..,,,.,
¨.¨.¨¨.¨¨, ,¨¨.¨¨.¨.¨
.,¨.,.,¨,. .,¨,.,.¨,.
,¨¨¨.¨.,:~ ~:,.¨.¨¨¨,