¨,~*§$§#@@ @@#§$§*~,¨
¨,-\%%@£## ##£@%%\-,¨
.¨¨.,.^»%# #%»^.,.¨¨.
.,»^%*%§#£ £#§%*%^»,.
¨~-=%*## ###&*%=-~¨
¨^»*%$## . ¨ . ###&$%*»^¨
¨.,.,~«†&@ , @&†«~,.,.¨
,,,~=*%¤$# , ¨ #$¤%*=~,,,
,^==^$¤¶@# % TINY BLUE PURPLE #@¶¤$^==^,
¨...~-%£@@ ~ 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 ¤§§£%%/~~¨
..~*=$¤¶@# SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, #@¶¤$=*~..
¨¨¨~;=*$£@ TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. @£$*=;~¨¨¨
.¨¨,.¨¨«*¤ ¤*«¨¨.,¨¨.
..¨,¨«/%@@ @@%/«¨,¨..
¨,~††$££¤# #¤££$††~,¨
.-«:^*:%@@ @@%:*^:«-.
..~=§£%£#¶ ¶#£%£§=~..
.¨¨-*=†*£# #£*†=*-¨¨.
.,-*%£&@@# #@@&£%*-,.
,,»:%¤¤£## ##£¤¤%:»,,
¨-=;%@£### ###£@%;=-¨
.~~;†¤§£@# #@£§¤†;~~.