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