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