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