«.....,,.. ..,,.....«
-,,¨.,¨..¨ ¨..¨,.¨,,-
~,¨,¨¨.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.¨¨,¨,~
/=,.¨,..., ,...,¨.,=/
†*«~,..¨,, ,,¨..,~«*†
@**»~¨.,.¨ , . ¨ ¨.,.¨~»**@
¤§=;--¨¨,, ¨ ,,¨¨--;=§¤
¶£%%†~^¨,, . ¨ ,,¨^~†%%£¶
@#§%§*~-.. % 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,§¤$$ ¨..¨^»=*&¤
£^:~,¨.,,, #,.# #,A DARK GLIMMERING LASERDISC.#¨# # ,,,.¨,~:^£
^=»^¨,,¨.¨ .¨ . ¨ . ¨ .. . ¨.¨,,¨^»=^
/»:,¨,,,¨, ,. SHE FEEDS¨ON.THE PARTICLES WHEN. , ,¨,,,¨,:»/
=^,,.,¨¨¨. .. THEY HIT HER STRETCHED SKIN. ¨ ^ .¨¨¨,.,,^=
...,.,.,¨¨ .¨ AND BEHIND¨HERE IS¨A SHADOW, AND - ¨¨,.,.,...
=,,.¨¨,,¨. ,IN THAT SHADOW,IS THE SPACE STATION.^ .¨,,¨¨.,,=
:«-,.¨..,. , , , , . ~ .,..¨.,-«:
§:~^,,..¨¨ ¨ ¨ , . , ¨¨..,,^~:§
%†=~,,,.¨¨ A MONTH LATER,¨THE EARTH IS STILL:DARK. ¨¨.,,,~=†%
&$%^«~,,.¨ THERE'S NO CONTACT, . , ¨.,,~«^%$&
#¤$*=»:.,¨ MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,, ¨,.:»=*$¤#
#@#£=;»,,¨ , CONFIRMING THAT SOME ^ ¨,,»;=£#@#
#@£§%%^~.¨ . SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. ¨.~^%%§£@#
#£#£††«.,. : ¨ .,.«††£#£#
@£@=;-:¨¨. , THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - .¨¨:-;=@£@
&**†--,..¨ THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD ¨..,--†**&
$%=~^,.,,, SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, ,,,.,^~=%$
*=-,¨,.¨., TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ,.¨.,¨,-=*
/~,.,,..¨¨ ¨¨..,,.,~/
-~,,,.¨¨,, ,,¨¨.,,,~-
,¨¨¨.,..,, ,,..,.¨¨¨,
=^.,¨,.¨., ,.¨.,¨,.^=
;-~,¨,.,¨, ,¨,.,¨,~-;
==-~¨,¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨,¨~-==
£^:»:¨¨,,¨ ¨,,¨¨:»:^£
¤$%/~:,,,¨ ¨,,,:~/%$¤
¶§$$†«,.,, ,,.,«†$$§¶
#@&£†:~~¨¨ ¨¨~~:†£&@#