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