,.,....,¨, ,¨,....,.,
.,.,,...¨¨ ¨¨...,,.,.
¨.,,.¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨.,,.¨
...¨¨.,¨,, ,,¨,.¨¨...
..,¨.,,.¨^ ^¨.,,.¨,..
..,¨¨.¨,,- . , , -,,¨.¨¨,..
¨¨,,,,,:«; ¨ ;«:,,,,,¨¨
¨,.,.,-~;§ ¨ , §;~-,.,.,¨
,¨¨..,~**£ * 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,^ §$%=~:¨¨¨.
¨.,.¨^«/%* ^ CONFIRMING THAT SOME , *%/«^¨.,.¨
,¨..¨,-~** ~ SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. **~-,¨..¨,
,,¨...¨.=\ , , \=.¨...¨,,
.,...¨,¨,~ : THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - ~,¨,¨...,.
¨,,..¨..,, THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD ,,..¨..,,¨
¨.¨¨,¨,.,¨ SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, ¨,.,¨,¨¨.¨
¨.,¨,.¨,., TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ,.,¨.,¨,.¨
¨¨,,¨¨.,., ,.,.¨¨,,¨¨
¨..¨..¨,¨, ,¨,¨..¨..¨
.,¨..,¨,^~ ~^,¨,..¨,.
¨.¨.¨¨¨,~* *~,¨¨¨.¨.¨
,.....,«;§ §;«,.....,
¨¨,,.,«=§¤ ¤§=«,.,,¨¨
,,¨..~†%&£ £&%†~..¨,,
,¨,--*§$¤@ @¤$§*--,¨,
,,:»=$£@## ##@£$=»:,,
,,«^$&&### ###&&$^«,,