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