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