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