==~.¨.¨,,. .,,¨.¨.~==
§§†-,.¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨.,-†§§
§&†=~..¨., ,.¨..~=†&§
¶£$*†~,,.. ..,,~†*$£¶
#@@£§*~~.. ..~~*§£@@#
###¤&*†~,¨ ¨ . . ¨,~†*&¤###
#££$$=~.,, . ,,.~=$$££#
¶#&†\~,.,, ¨ ¨ ,,.,~\†¶
@$$†«.¨.,¨ = TINY BLUE PURPLE ¨,.¨.«†$$@
@$†~-¨¨¨¨¨ : SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE , ¨¨¨¨¨-~†$@
%/~..¨.,¨. 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. .¨^~;^£&¶@
£§*=\-:¨., ,.¨:-\=*§£
£¤§=»~¨... ...¨~»=§¤£
£^†~-¨,,¨. .¨,,¨-~†^£
^/«..,.¨,. .,¨.,..«/^
^~,.¨.,,.. ..,,.¨.,~^
»^,,,,¨,.. ..,¨,,,,^»
:~,¨.,,.,¨ ¨,.,,.¨,~:
%;=-,¨.,.. ..,.¨,-=;%
@$*»,...,. .,...,»*$@
¤¤*^=,¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨,=^*¤¤