,,,.,¨,.¨. .¨.,¨,.,,,
,,¨¨,¨,,,. .,,,¨,¨¨,,
¨,..¨,..¨: :¨..,¨..,¨
.,.,,.,,,~ ~,,,.,,.,.
¨,,.¨¨¨.=† †=.¨¨¨.,,¨
¨,,,,.~-\% ¨ ¨ , %\-~.,,,,¨
¨¨¨.¨:~;*% . %*;~:¨.¨¨¨
.,.,-~\$*¤ , , ¤*$\~-,.,.
.¨.--/^@@# % TINY BLUE PURPLE #@@^/--.¨.
,,,-=%%§## , SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE , ##§%%=-,,,
¨-»\%%¤@@# HOVERING IN ORBIT AROUND= #@@¤%%\»-¨
.,.«\§%@£# THE EARTH, SPINNING, CHASING. #£@%§\«.,.
,,,^~\=*§¶ - ¨ ¶§*=\~^,,,
..¨¨:«:^$& 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 - $/«^.,¨..,
.,¨.¨.,,== THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD ==,,.¨.¨,.
,.¨..,.¨-« SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, «-¨.,..¨.,
..,.,,...- TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. -...,,.,..
,¨¨,¨¨,¨.¨ ¨.¨,¨¨,¨¨,
..,¨,¨¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨¨,¨,..
.,¨¨,.¨.,, ,,.¨.,¨¨,.
¨¨¨.¨.,.,. .,.,.¨.¨¨¨
.,¨,,,¨,.¨ ¨.,¨,,,¨,.
¨¨..,.¨¨¨: :¨¨¨.,..¨¨
,¨.¨¨.¨.:« «:.¨.¨¨.¨,
,,,.,¨¨-»: :»-¨¨,.,,,
..,¨¨,.~;§ §;~.,¨¨,..
.¨,,¨.=;†$ $†;=.¨,,¨.