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