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