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