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