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