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