,,¨¨....., ,.....¨¨,,
¨,.¨,.¨..¨ ¨..¨.,¨.,¨
¨,,,¨¨¨,,. .,,¨¨¨,,,¨
,..,.,.,¨, ,¨,.,.,..,
.,¨,¨,..,~ ~,..,¨,¨,.
,.,¨.¨..,» . , ¨ »,..¨.¨,.,
...¨¨..:-/ . /-:..¨¨...
.¨.,¨,^~*^ , , ^*~^,¨,.¨.
,,,.,,«**@ % 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 - $:»:,...¨.
¨,.¨,--^*% THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD %*^--,¨.,¨
,¨¨¨-~=§%@ SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, @%§=~-¨¨¨,
.¨.,~\$%§¶ TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ¶§%$\~,.¨.
¨..-^**#@# #@#**^-..¨
.:~*§%@£## ##£@%§*~:.
,¨^~*=%§¶# #¶§%=*~^¨,
¨¨¨,»;%£@# #@£%;»,¨¨¨
,¨¨¨--=%%& &%%=--¨¨¨,
.¨¨¨,,-**& &**-,,¨¨¨.
,,..¨,-»\* *\»-,¨..,,
¨.¨,..,,«: :«,,..,¨.¨
.,,¨,¨,¨,- -,¨,¨,¨,,.
¨,,¨¨,.,,, ,,,.,¨¨,,¨