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