##@¶@$*»-, ,-»*$@¶@##
##@§%§=~.. ..~=§%§@##
##&§$»,,,, ,,,,»$§#
@££$~:.,.¨ ¨.,.:~$££@
&£=»^¨,¨,, ,,¨,¨^»=£&
%*~~.,..,¨ , , . ¨,..,.~~*%
%»,¨¨.,¨,¨ . ¨,¨,.¨¨,»%
-~¨¨..,¨,. , ¨ .,¨,..¨¨~-
,¨,¨¨¨.,., * 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. ,,....,¨¨.
¨,,.,,,.¨¨ ¨¨.,,,.,,¨
,,,..¨,,., ,.,,¨..,,,
..,,..,¨.¨ ¨.¨,..,,..
¨,.¨,,¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨,,¨.,¨
,..¨..,,,. .,,,..¨..,
,¨..¨.¨,.. ..,¨.¨..¨,
¨..¨.¨,.¨. .¨.,¨.¨..¨
.¨¨,,.¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨.,,¨¨.
~,..¨¨¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨¨¨..,~
=-~.¨¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨¨.~-=