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