..¨,¨.;†¤£ £¤†;.¨,¨..
,.^~;=§=$# #$=§=;~^.,
,,,~;^£#¶# #¶#£^;~,,,
,.¨¨,.~*%£ £%*~.,¨¨.,
,,.,\^%£¶@ @¶£%^\,.,,
,.-;^#@# , , , #@##&^;-.,
¨-«*§£§@## ¨ ##@§£§*«-¨
¨,-^*§£### . ¨ ###£§*^-,¨
¨,~/£§@### * 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,*@:¤:§* #@@@£$=~,,
,:,-^\=§¤# $§§¤%*@%£%%&LIKE FLUID INSECT WINGS,¤@£§ #¤§=\^-,:,
,--^%§#### #,.# #,A DARK GLIMMERING LASERDISC.#,# # ####§%^--,
¨¨,,¨¨:/%£ ,. . , ¨ , ¨. ¨ £%/:¨¨,,¨¨
¨,¨,=%&@@@ ¨¨ SHE FEEDS.ON¨THE PARTICLES WHEN, . @@@&%=,¨,¨
.,~:†%@### .. THEY HIT HER STRETCHED SKIN. ¨ : ###@%†:~,.
¨.¨.¨¨»~^# ,, AND BEHIND.HERE IS¨A SHADOW, AND . #^~»¨¨.¨.¨
.-~:*¤#£## .IN THAT SHADOW,IS THE SPACE STATION.- ##£#¤*:~-.
¨,~:†£§### , , ¨ . ¨ , ###§£†:~,¨
,.,,/§§#§# ¨ , , ¨ . #§#§§/,,.,
.¨.,=§££## A MONTH LATER,¨THE EARTH IS STILL^DARK. ##££§=,.¨.
,:~*%¤## THERE'S NO CONTACT, , . ###&¤%*~:,
,,¨.-~=*@¤ MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,. ¤@*=~-.¨,,
¨,=††§#@§¶ ^ CONFIRMING THAT SOME : ¶§@#§††=,¨
¨..,.¨~%§# : SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. #§%~¨.,..¨
,-~†=*£¶@@ ~ . @@¶£*=†~-,
¨.,.^:=@§# . THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - #§@=:^.,.¨
.^»»~†%%£# THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD #£%%†~»»^.
~«:%#### SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, #####&%:«~
,,~†%£@### TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ###@£%†~,,
..-^=^%%=§ §=%%^=^-..
.:=-»»*§§@ @§§*»»-=:.
¨.=:$§## ###&§$:=.¨
.~~†$$§£## ##£§$$†~~.
.^-=†%@£¤@ @¤£@%†=-^.
..,¨~~;=§@ @§=;~~¨,..
.^»\§%#### ####%§\»^.
¨.~/¤£¶### ###¶£¤/~.¨
.,==$%#### ####%$==,.
¨^«;*$£¶## ##¶£$*;«^¨