~~...,..,¨ ¨,..,...~~
.,,,,.¨¨.. ..¨¨.,,,,.
,,¨...,,¨, ,¨,,...¨,,
¨..¨.,,,., ,.,,,.¨..¨
.¨¨.,¨,,,, ,,,,¨,.¨¨.
^..,¨,¨¨,, , , , ,,¨¨,¨,..^
«,¨¨,¨¨¨,, ¨ ,,¨¨¨,¨¨,«
^=^,¨.,.,¨ ¨ , ¨,.,.¨,^=^
%*--,,¨... * 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. ,,..¨.¨¨.¨
...,,,¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨,,,...
,¨¨¨,.¨.,¨ ¨,.¨.,¨¨¨,
-.,,,,¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨,,,,.-
--,,.¨¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨¨.,,--
^»~,¨¨¨.,. .,.¨¨¨,~»^
§:«.,,.,¨, ,¨,.,,.«:§
&*^~,,,.¨. .¨.,,,~^*&
&%%=«:,.,¨ ¨,.,:«=%%&
#¤§§:=^,,¨ ¨,,^=:§§¤#
@@¤$†=~,.. ..,~=†$¤@@