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