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