.¨,..,,.-« «-.,,..,¨.
.¨..,¨,.~; ;~.,¨,..¨.
.,,,...»†^ ^†»...,,,.
.¨,,¨.«:$% %$:«.¨,,¨.
¨,..:=/*¤¤ ¤¤*/=:..,¨
,.,~~/%¤@@ , , , @@¤%/~~,.,
¨.~~:*&@ ¨ @#&&*:~~.¨
.^~:=&@@## . , ##@@&=:~^.
,,^~=%§#@# ^ 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 . #&$§=-,¨,,
,.,,^~^%@& ,IN THAT SHADOW¨IS THE SPACE STATION.. &@%^~^,,.,
,.,.,:«\*@ , . , , . , @*\«:,.,.,
¨,¨,..,~=^ . , . . . ^=~,..,¨,¨
¨,¨.,¨¨:«† A MONTH LATER,.THE EARTH IS STILL,DARK. †«:¨¨,.¨,¨
.,¨.¨.¨,:» THERE'S NO CONTACT, ¨ ^ »:,¨.¨.¨,.
¨..,,,¨¨,, MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,. ,,¨¨,,,..¨
,,¨¨.,..,. . CONFIRMING THAT SOME , .,..,.¨¨,,
,¨,.,,.,,, , SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. ,,,.,,.,¨,
¨,,,.¨¨.¨, - . ,¨.¨¨.,,,¨
¨.,¨.¨.¨¨, - THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - ,¨¨.¨.¨,.¨
,¨.,,¨.,-~ THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD ~-,.¨,,.¨,
¨..,¨,¨^-/ SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, /-^¨,¨,..¨
¨,.,...~†= TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. =†~...,.,¨
.¨,,¨-«/$% %$/«-¨,,¨.
¨..,:-^^§# #§^^-:,..¨
.,.~»^$%¤# #¤%$^»~.,.
¨¨-=;%%¤## ##¤%%;=-¨¨
,-~*†$#£## ##£#$†*~-,
¨¨:-;$$¤## ##¤$$;-:¨¨
,¨,,»/§$ #&$§/»,,¨,
,,¨,~»;%¤§ §¤%;»~,¨,,
¨.¨,,,=†=* *=†=,,,¨.¨
¨,,,.,~«/= =/«~,.,,,¨