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