¨..¨,,¨~~/ /~~¨,,¨..¨
,¨,¨¨,¨.,« «,.¨,¨¨,¨,
.¨.¨.,..¨, ,¨..,.¨.¨.
,¨,..,.¨,¨ ¨,¨.,..,¨,
,.,¨¨,¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨,¨¨,.,
.¨¨,.....¨ , ¨ ¨ ¨.....,¨¨.
,¨.¨¨,,,.. , ..,,,¨¨.¨,
,¨¨,....,~ , ¨ ~,....,¨¨,
..¨¨.¨¨,~; † 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. .,.¨...¨¨,
¨.¨,,¨,.., ,..,¨,,¨.¨
,,¨¨¨.¨,,, ,,,¨.¨¨¨,,
,,¨¨,,,¨.. ..¨,,,¨¨,,
¨¨¨,¨,.,.- -.,.,¨,¨¨¨
,,¨,¨,.¨.« «.¨.,¨,¨,,
¨,¨,,,¨:~; ;~:¨,,,¨,¨
,,¨¨..~~=^ ^=~~..¨¨,,
,..,.,-;$@ @$;-,.,..,
..,.~»†%*& &*%†»~.,..
.,.~-^**&¶ ¶&**^-~.,.