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