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