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