.¨.^»;**¤@ @¤**;»^.¨.
.¨^~*%$&@# #@&$%*~^¨.
¨^~†^£#¶## ##¶#£^†~^¨
...~^†£@## ##@£†^~...
,.,,»:†£@# #@£†:»,,.,
,,¨.,~†=%# , ¨ , #%=†~,.¨,,
..,..,«^*% ¨ %*^«,..,..
,,,.,.~«\= ¨ , =\«~.,.,,,
..¨.¨,¨,~= % 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.- ##£&$$=«:.
.¨:»^*%£## . , ¨ ¨ . , ##£%*^»:¨.
¨,¨:»:$%#¶ , ¨ ¨ ¨ ~ ¶#%$:»:¨,¨
¨¨,,^-:*£§ A MONTH LATER,,THE EARTH IS STILL,DARK. §£*:-^,,¨¨
¨¨¨.,:~/*£ THERE'S NO CONTACT, , - £*/~:,.¨¨¨
.,.,,.^«=* MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,: *=«^.,,.,.
¨,.,¨,,.== - CONFIRMING THAT SOME , ==.,,¨,.,¨
¨.,,.,,..= : SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. =..,,.,,.¨
.¨,.¨,,¨., : . ,.¨,,¨.,¨.
..¨¨.¨,.,» . THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - »,.,¨.¨¨..
...¨,,¨^-* THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD *-^¨,,¨...
¨¨,.,..»^* SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, *^»..,.,¨¨
¨..,¨.~†*$ TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. $*†~.¨,..¨
¨..¨:«/§¤¤ ¤¤§/«:¨..¨
¨¨..=†=@§¶ ¶§@=†=..¨¨
,,,=:=%# ##&%=:=,,,
¨,-\*%@# #@#&%*\-,¨
.,,=;†$¤£@ @£¤$†;=,,.
¨¨¨.=^%%§@ @§%%^=.¨¨¨
¨,,¨,=†$$§ §$$†=,¨,,¨
,¨,,,-«;$§ §$;«-,,,¨,
¨.¨,.¨~«/% %/«~¨.,¨.¨
,,.,.¨¨~«= =«~¨¨.,.,,