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