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