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