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