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