.¨¨¨.»^^@£ £@^^».¨¨¨.
¨,,,»*^§&@ @&§^*»,,,¨
,,~-†$§§#@ @#§§$†-~,,
.:«;§%§@@# #@@§%§;«:.
..:»\=%&@# #@&%=\»:..
¨¨.-=^$£@# . ¨ , #@£$^=-.¨¨
,.,,.»=^$£ , £$^=».,,.,
,¨¨¨.-~/§% , . %§/~-.¨¨¨,
¨¨¨,,¨,«=% $ 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,£$§* @@§¤†^-~,.
¨.¨-=;*¤¤¶ #,¨# #,A DARK GLIMMERING LASERDISC.#.# # ¶¤¤*;=-¨.¨
,.,¨--^=£§ ¨, . ¨ ¨ ¨ .. ¨ §£=^--¨,.,
,,,...«/*% .¨ SHE FEEDS¨ON¨THE PARTICLES WHEN, ^ %*/«...,,,
,,¨.¨¨,«\= ,, THEY HIT HER STRETCHED SKIN. . , =\«,¨¨.¨,,
,¨.¨,,~†§* .¨ AND BEHIND.HERE IS¨A SHADOW, AND : *§†~,,¨.¨,
.,..:~:*&@ .IN THAT SHADOW¨IS THE SPACE STATION.^ @&*:~:..,.
..¨^~**£#¶ . . . . , - ¶#£**~^¨..
,,--/=*£@# , . , ¨ - #@£*=/--,,
¨:«:%£££## A MONTH LATER,¨THE EARTH IS STILL:DARK. ##£££%:«:¨
.,--†=¤¤## THERE'S NO CONTACT, , ~ ##¤¤=†--,.
¨¨.^~\*%&@ MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,- @&%*\~^.¨¨
,,,,:~==@¤ - CONFIRMING THAT SOME . ¤@==~:,,,,
¨.¨,,,~:^@ - SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. @^:~,,,¨.¨
.¨.¨¨.-»=% ^ . %=»-.¨¨.¨.
..,,,.=\†£ ^ THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - £†\=.,,,..
¨¨,,-===§£ THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD £§===-,,¨¨
¨.,^«/%%&¶ SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, ¶&%%/«^,.¨
,..~†%£#£# TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. #£#£%†~..,
,~«:**&¶@# #@¶&**:«~,
.,^~=§££@@ @@££§=~^,.
,,.-~\$£#¶ ¶#£$\~-.,,
,.¨..«†=¤# #¤=†«..¨.,
¨,.,,,==*% %*==,,,.,¨
¨..¨.,:»;^ ^;»:,.¨..¨
¨¨,.¨,=/†£ £†/=,¨.,¨¨
,¨¨,~«^*@& &@*^«~,¨¨,
..,,~†*$¤£ £¤$*†~,,..
,¨^-/=%@ @#&%=/-^¨,