..~«=†$¤£# #£¤$†=«~..
,~~†*£&@## ##@&£*†~~,
..,-\%¤§@# #@§¤%\-,..
,,,:=\†$§# #§$†\=:,,,
¨¨,¨^«^§&§ §&§^«^¨,¨¨
,...,,~=§£ . ¨ , £§=~,,...,
..¨,,.-~*% . %*~-.,,¨..
¨¨¨,.,.,«* . . *«,.,.,¨¨¨
...,¨,¨¨~= † 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,$§@£ @@#%§\-:,¨
,,.:»/%§&@ #,¨# #.A DARK GLIMMERING LASERDISC.#.# # @&§%/»:.,,
..¨.-»;§££ .¨ , ¨ . , ., , ££§;»-.¨..
.¨,..-»;%% ., SHE FEEDS.ON¨THE PARTICLES WHEN, . %%;»-..,¨.
.¨¨.¨,,«^% .¨ THEY HIT HER STRETCHED SKIN. , , %^«,,¨.¨¨.
¨¨,¨,¨¨~-\ ,, AND BEHIND¨HERE IS.A SHADOW, AND : \-~¨¨,¨,¨¨
¨..,,¨¨¨,» ¨IN THAT SHADOW.IS THE SPACE STATION.. »,¨¨¨,,..¨
,¨,¨.¨.,-/ , . . , , - /-,.¨.¨,¨,
,.¨¨.¨,~:† . . . , , †:~,¨.¨¨.,
,..,,:-=†% A MONTH LATER,.THE EARTH IS STILL~DARK. %†=-:,,..,
,..¨,=^%&§ THERE'S NO CONTACT, . ^ §&%^=,¨..,
.¨¨-~^%&@£ MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,^ £@&%^~-¨¨.
¨¨.=;%££@# , CONFIRMING THAT SOME ^ #@££%;=.¨¨
,,~=*%¤### ^ SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. ###¤%*=~,,
¨.^»;^$@@# : , #@@$^;»^.¨
..¨:=†§%££ ~ THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - ££%§†=:¨..
.,¨.,«/=¤£ THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD £¤=/«,.¨,.
¨,.¨¨.~/§% SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, %§/~.¨¨.,¨
,...,,~~== TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ==~~,,...,
...¨.¨,^«\ \«^,¨.¨...
..,,.¨..,» »,..¨.,,..
...,,,,~~= =~~,,,,...
,¨,¨¨,^-:† †:-^,¨¨,¨,
¨¨.,¨^-^^$ $^^-^¨,.¨¨
¨,.,,»\*$§ §$*\»,,.,¨
.,¨~===$@@ @@$===~¨,.
¨,,~*§$£#@ @#£$§*~,,¨
,,~==%&¶## ##¶&%==~,,
¨.:~†*&¤#@ @#¤&*†~:.¨