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