#£#%%:».,, ,,.»:%%#£#
#&§%=«,.,, ,,.,«=%§
@$^:-.¨.,. .,.¨.-:^$@
*%†«:.,.¨¨ ¨¨.,.:«†%*
£%*†«-,¨.. ..¨,-«†*%£
£§$^*«-.¨¨ . ¨ . ¨¨.-«*^$§£
#¶#$^;«^¨, ¨ ,¨^«;^$#¶#
##@¤%§=~-. ¨ ¨ .-~=§%¤@##
#£@¤*†».., % 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 ,,¨,:=^*$§
£¤&†*«,.¨¨ SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, ¨¨.,«*†&¤£
#@£@*/~,,, TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ,,,~/*@£@#
##@§$§;~:¨ ¨:~;§$§@##
#£@%$†»-¨. .¨-»†$%@£#
¶£@%/«-,¨¨ ¨¨,-«/%@£¶
§%††~.¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨.~††%§
$%=»,,¨.,, ,,.¨,,»=%$
@&%*-,¨.., ,..¨,-*%&@
#@%^:~.¨., ,.¨.~:^%@#
#£¤%%†«:,¨ ¨,:«†%%¤£#
##@¤%%†«,¨ ¨,«†%%¤@##
##¤¤*\».¨¨ ¨¨.»\*¤¤##