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