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