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