¨,,¨,,:=/= =/=:,,¨,,¨
...¨,.-;%£ £%;-.,¨...
¨,..,~:*@# #@*:~,..,¨
,,,-=/%$#@ @#$%/=-,,,
,¨,~/†£@¶# #¶@£†/~,¨,
¨.~:=%¤£## ¨ , . ##£¤%=:~.¨
¨¨-~†=*# . ##&*=†~-¨¨
¨.¨^~:§£¤@ ¨ , @¤£§:~^¨.¨
,¨.¨,-/^£& * 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. ,,¨.¨...,,
,...¨¨,..¨ ¨..,¨¨...,
¨¨.,.¨,.., ,..,¨.,.¨¨
¨,¨..,.¨¨. .¨¨.,..¨,¨
..¨,¨¨,¨¨. .¨¨,¨¨,¨..
¨,.,.¨.... ....¨.,.,¨
.¨¨.¨.,,¨¨ ¨¨,,.¨.¨¨.
¨,¨¨¨...,. .,...¨¨¨,¨
.,,.¨.,¨,- -,¨,.¨.,,.
,¨...¨¨,»= =»,¨¨...¨,
,,...¨^»/$ $/»^¨...,,