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