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