¨¨~=$%¤@## ##@¤%$=~¨¨
.«:§&¤¶### ###¶¤&§:«.
¨.~*†@££## ##££@†*~.¨
.,¨»=§$£@# #@£$§=»¨,.
,¨..«†$* #&*$†«..¨,
.,¨..~^*$¤ . ¨ ¨ ¤$*^~..¨,.
.,,,,¨»/§£ , £§/»¨,,,,.
¨,¨¨,.,~\§ , , §\~,.,¨¨,¨
,,,,.,,,«† * 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. §%^»¨...,,
..¨¨¨~/*§# #§*/~¨¨¨..
¨,¨,~†*£ #&£*†~,¨,¨
,¨.~**&@## ##@&**~.¨,
¨.~/*$#@@# #@@#$*/~.¨
,~;^¤§¶### ###¶§¤^;~,
¨¨~==£## ###&£==~¨¨
,¨.=;%$# ##&$%;=.¨,
.,,.«/^£## ##£^/«.,,.
,.¨¨.~^^%£ £%^^~.¨¨.,
¨.,,¨¨=:%§ §%:=¨¨,,.¨