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