§*/=~¨,¨,¨ ¨,¨,¨~=/*§
%;«,.¨.¨¨, ,¨¨.¨.,«;%
¤§\~:¨..., ,...¨:~\§¤
£%$:=,.¨¨, ,¨¨.,=:$%£
##@§†«,,,¨ ¨,,,«†§@##
##&¤%=-~., . ¨ , ,.~-=%¤&##
###&*^^-,. , .,-^^*&###
##@£†:~,¨, , . ,¨,~:†£@##
#&**^«,,., ^ 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,.,^.@-£-::. ,,,..^-*$¤
#£§:~-.¨.¨ @\&*£/&†#*#SPREADS HER MEMBRANES,:&;£\£= ¨.¨.-~:§£#
#§$†*~-.¨, §¤@*£*£¤$$$&LIKE FLUID INSECT WINGS,%£$& ,¨.-~*†$§#
#@&@%\»,.. #¨¨# #,A DARK GLIMMERING LASERDISC.#,# # ..,»\%@&@#
####**=~:¨ ¨. . , . . ,, , ¨:~=**####
#@¤¤§:~,¨¨ .¨ SHE FEEDS,ON¨THE PARTICLES WHEN. , ¨¨,~:§¤¤@#
#£&^=~:,.¨ .. THEY HIT HER STRETCHED SKIN. ¨ - ¨.,:~=^&£#
£*%;~.,,,, .. AND BEHIND,HERE IS¨A SHADOW, AND , ,,,,.~;%*£
%==»,,¨.,, .IN THAT SHADOW¨IS THE SPACE STATION., ,,.¨,,»==%
===:¨¨,,,¨ , ¨ ¨ . , , ¨,,,¨¨:===
&%^«^¨.¨,. . , ¨ , - .,¨.¨^«^%&
§@%*~,,,,. A MONTH LATER,¨THE EARTH IS STILL.DARK. .,,,,~*%@§
##£%*=-¨.. THERE'S NO CONTACT, ¨ : ..¨-=*%£##
##§§*^=.,, MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,. ,,.=^*§§##
###£*^†~,, - CONFIRMING THAT SOME . ,,~†^*£###
###*=\»,¨¨ . SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. ¨¨,»\=*###
@#&††«-,¨, : , ,¨,-«††&#@
&§=;~-¨..¨ : THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - ¨..¨-~;=§&
&=†~-¨¨.., THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD ,..¨¨-~†=&
*/~^¨¨¨¨.. SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, ..¨¨¨¨^~/*
*%=«~,¨¨¨¨ TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ¨¨¨¨,~«=%*
@%*:=:,¨,¨ ¨,¨,:=:*%@
@&£%=~:,,. .,,:~=%£&@
##¤$$;».,¨ ¨,.»;$$¤##
###&£==~~. .~~==£&###
#@@@=/».,, ,,.»/=@@@#
@£¤%==:,,, ,,,:==%¤£@
£$=*-~.¨¨. .¨¨.~-*=$£
§$=~:,,¨,¨ ¨,¨,,:~=$§
*†-^,,.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.,,^-†*
%†*«.¨¨... ...¨¨.«*†%