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