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