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