~..¨¨,¨¨,, ,,¨¨,¨¨..~
»-..¨...¨, ,¨...¨..-»
†~^,.¨.¨,. .,¨.¨.,^~†
=*«-,..¨.¨ ¨.¨..,-«*=
£*\»^,¨.,¨ ¨,.¨,^»\*£
@%*==-,¨.. , ¨ ¨ ..¨,-==*%@
@§$§^~^.., . ,..^~^§$§@
#@&£%:«,,¨ , . ¨,,«:%£&@#
##¶#¤==-:, % 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 .¨.,~==£¤¶
@@¤$§/»~¨. SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, .¨~»/§$¤@@
###¤%$;~,, TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ,,~;$%¤###
@¶@*%\-.,. .,.-\%*@¶@
@#£^^~-¨,¨ ¨,¨-~^^£#@
£$%†»-¨.,, ,,.¨-»†%$£
%%=«-,.¨¨, ,¨¨.,-«=%%
%/~,,.¨,., ,.,¨.,,~/%
==,¨¨.,... ...,.¨¨,==
~^¨,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,¨^~
..,,.,¨..¨ ¨..¨,.,,..
,...,.,,,, ,,,,.,...,
^,,,¨,.¨., ,.¨.,¨,,,^