¨:«;*$@@## ##@@$*;«:¨
¨¨,~;*££## ##££*;~,¨¨
.¨,~«==%@# #@%==«~,¨.
,¨¨.^=:*$¤ ¤$*:=^.¨¨,
.¨.¨,,~:*¤ ¤*:~,,¨.¨.
¨,¨¨.,,«*§ . , ¨ §*«,,.¨¨,¨
.¨.¨¨¨.~»= , =»~.¨¨¨.¨.
.¨.,¨¨,,~~ , , ~~,,¨¨,.¨.
¨.,..¨¨,¨. $ 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. ,¨,.¨.¨¨,.
¨...¨,.¨.. ..¨.,¨...¨
.,¨,¨,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,¨,¨,.
¨¨,.,,¨,,¨ ¨,,¨,,.,¨¨
.,¨..¨,.., ,..,¨..¨,.
,,¨,¨.,¨,¨ ¨,¨,.¨,¨,,
,,.¨..,¨¨. .¨¨,..¨.,,
,¨¨¨¨.¨,,. .,,¨.¨¨¨¨,
,..,,...¨^ ^¨...,,..,
.,¨.,..¨.= =.¨..,.¨,.
,¨,¨¨¨¨,=; ;=,¨¨¨¨,¨,