¨.¨,,.,.¨~ ~¨.,.,,¨.¨
,,...¨,,¨. .¨,,¨...,,
¨.¨¨.¨¨¨.. ..¨¨¨.¨¨.¨
.,,,,¨.,¨¨ ¨¨,.¨,,,,.
¨,,,,¨,¨,¨ ¨,¨,¨,,,,¨
..¨¨¨.,.,, ¨ . . ,,.,.¨¨¨..
.¨,..¨,¨,¨ , ¨,¨,¨..,¨.
,..¨¨,,.,. . . .,.,,¨¨..,
,,,,.,¨¨,¨ % 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,--.-#,£,:,, @#@%^~-..¨
¨,^=:$&£## #/£\#†§†@;#SPREADS HER MEMBRANES,=¤\¤†@; ##£&$:=^,¨
¨,«*%§&@## ££%%@§@§*$$£LIKE FLUID INSECT WINGS,%£¤¤ ##@&§%*«,¨
,,~=^%*&@# #¨.# #¨A DARK GLIMMERING LASERDISC.#.# # #@&*%^=~,,
,.¨:«=§$¤# ¨¨ . ¨ , . ¨¨ , #¤$§=«:¨.,
..,.:~/*&¤ ¨. SHE FEEDS¨ON.THE PARTICLES WHEN. , ¤&*/~:.,..
..¨¨¨:=:*£ ,, THEY HIT HER STRETCHED SKIN. . - £*:=:¨¨¨..
¨,¨¨,,^~*§ ., AND BEHIND¨HERE IS,A SHADOW, AND : §*~^,,¨¨,¨
,.¨¨¨,.-== ,IN THAT SHADOW¨IS THE SPACE STATION.^ ==-.,¨¨¨.,
,,..,¨¨.-~ . , ¨ . ¨ ^ ~-.¨¨,..,,
.,..¨¨,,¨, , , . ¨ : ,¨,,¨¨..,.
,,,¨.¨.¨¨. A MONTH LATER,,THE EARTH IS STILL^DARK. .¨¨.¨.¨,,,
¨¨.¨,.¨.,. THERE'S NO CONTACT, . , .,.¨.,¨.¨¨
,,¨.,...¨¨ MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,, ¨¨...,.¨,,
,.,..,¨,,. ^ CONFIRMING THAT SOME : .,,¨,..,.,
¨.,¨¨¨,¨¨. - SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. .¨¨,¨¨¨,.¨
¨¨¨,...,¨¨ , ¨ ¨¨,...,¨¨¨
..,¨,¨.¨¨. , THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - .¨¨.¨,¨,..
,¨¨¨¨,¨..¨ THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD ¨..¨,¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨.,¨..¨, SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, ,¨..¨,.¨¨¨
,,¨¨¨¨¨... TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ...¨¨¨¨¨,,
¨,,¨.¨.,~» »~,.¨.¨,,¨
,,¨,¨¨.:«; ;«:.¨¨,¨,,
¨..,,.:=*= =*=:.,,..¨
,,,¨,,»:§% %§:»,,¨,,,
.,¨.-»/^$¤ ¤$^/»-.¨,.
,.¨,~=$¤£# #£¤$=~,¨.,
.¨^==%%&## ##&%%==^¨.
¨.=\$$&### ###&$$\=.¨
¨¨-~†%$### ###$%†~-¨¨
.¨,-»/§%&£ £&%§/»-,¨.