#@@&$%;~^, ,^~;%$&@@#
@#¤£%/=,¨, ,¨,=/%£¤#@
@@£*/«.¨., ,.¨.«/*£@@
&*^;»,,... ...,,»;^*&
¤%*=-,¨.¨, ,¨.¨,-=*%¤
§/»,¨¨¨,.¨ . . . ¨.,¨¨¨,»/§
==,..,,..¨ . ¨..,,..,==
^=~~,¨..¨, , . ,¨..¨,~~=^
%$\«~..¨., § TINY BLUE PURPLE ,.¨..~«\$%
&%%:~~.¨.¨ , SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE , ¨.¨.~~:%%&
#¤£^=»-..¨ HOVERING IN ORBIT AROUND- ¨..-»=^£¤#
#@¤%*:~^.. THE EARTH, SPINNING, CHASING. ..^~:*%¤@#
#@@&£=/»:, : . ,:»/=£&@@#
#¶&£^†«~,¨ LOOKS AT THE SUN WITH LASER EYES, ¨,~«†^£&¶#
#&£==~~,¨, LOOKS AT THE EARTH'S POWER GRID,, ,¨,~~==£
¤*%;»,,¨,, . . , ,,¨,,»;%*¤
&†;--,.,¨, SAYS "HMM...." ~ ,¨,.,--;†&
*†~:,¨,¨,. , .,¨,¨,:~†*
^».,....,, § . ,,....,.»^
*\~^¨.¨,¨¨ , ^ ¨¨,¨.¨^~\*
¤%:«-....¨ SHE SWIMS TOWARD THE ISS. ¨....-«:%¤
£%=:~~.,., MATCHES VELOCITY, PHASES THROUGH THE ,.,.~~:=%£
#§$†;~:¨,¨ 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. ¨¨¨:~**%££
@£§:~-.¨¨, ,¨¨.-~:§£@
$^*=^¨.¨,, ,,¨.¨^=*^$
§^«^.¨.¨., ,.¨.¨.^«^§
:=,...,¨¨, ,¨¨,...,=:
^^«^.¨,.¨¨ ¨¨.,¨.^«^^
£*:».,.,,¨ ¨,,.,.»:*£
£¤**~^¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨^~**¤£
#££^=~.,¨, ,¨,.~=^££#
@@&§=;»,,¨ ¨,,»;=§&@@
###@£^/--¨ ¨--/^£@###