.,,¨¨,,¨,« «,¨,,¨¨,,.
...,¨...¨~ ~¨...¨,...
.¨...,.,.¨ ¨.,.,...¨.
¨...,,¨.¨, ,¨.¨,,...¨
¨...,.¨¨., ,.¨¨.,...¨
,,.¨.¨.,¨, ¨ . . ,¨,.¨.¨.,,
..¨.¨.,¨:= , =:¨,.¨.¨..
¨..¨,,,:»\ ¨ ¨ \»:,,,¨..¨
...¨,¨:=\§ % 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., #$§*-.¨¨¨.
.¨,,-\§%#¶ , ¨ . . ¨ . ¶#%§\-,,¨.
.,.-:$£@@# ¨ , , , . #@@£$:-.,.
¨,-:=¤#### A MONTH LATER,.THE EARTH IS STILL.DARK. ####¤=:-,¨
,¨,~/*@§£# THERE'S NO CONTACT, ¨ . #£§@*/~,¨,
¨¨¨:-:=£ MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,- £#&=:-:¨¨¨
..¨.,«=%%& , CONFIRMING THAT SOME ^ &%%=«,.¨..
,¨.,¨^~:§¤ ~ SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. ¤§:~^¨,.¨,
¨¨,,¨.:~*^ ~ ¨ ^*~:.¨,,¨¨
,¨¨.¨¨.,~: ~ THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - :~,.¨¨.¨¨,
.¨..¨,..:- THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD -:..,¨..¨.
,¨¨,,.,¨.^ SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, ^.¨,.,,¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨,,,¨, TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ,¨,,,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,.¨¨,.,.¨ ¨.,.,¨¨.,¨
¨¨,¨¨,.,,, ,,,.,¨¨,¨¨
.¨.¨,,.¨.^ ^.¨.,,¨.¨.
,..¨.,..,- -,..,.¨..,
.,¨,,¨.~~= =~~.¨,,¨,.
..¨¨,,.=^* *^=.,,¨¨..
¨¨¨..:»/%@ @%/»:..¨¨¨
.¨.¨.-:$£¤ ¤£$:-.¨.¨.
¨,.-~/*£¤£ £¤£*/~-.,¨
.,~»==$&£# #£&$==»~,.