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