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