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