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