$§;=.¨¨.,. .,.¨¨.=;§$
&%%:~,¨,.. ..,¨,~:%%&
#@£†*=,,,. .,,,=*†£@#
##§&$*«,.. ..,«*$&§##
##£&£$/«^, ,^«/$£&£##
#£@$*/=~¨. . . , .¨~=/*$@£#
¶#@§\«,¨., , ,.¨,«\§@#¶
#*†;~,,¨.¨ ¨ . ¨.¨,,~;†*#
§§^»,¨¨.,. $ 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,: .¨,,,=†*$#
%*†-:,¨,,¨ : CONFIRMING THAT SOME . ¨,,¨,:-†*%
†^«.¨..¨¨. , SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. .¨¨..¨.«^†
/~,¨¨..¨¨¨ : ¨ ¨¨¨..¨¨,~/
*;=^..¨¨.¨ . THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - ¨.¨¨..^=;*
&%;~~¨,,,, THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD ,,,,¨~~;%&
@¤^:»,,¨,, SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, ,,¨,,»:^¤@
@&**\«,.¨¨ TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ¨¨.,«\**&@
#£#&^\»~,. .,~»\^£#
###¤£§;~:, ,:~;§£¤###
###$=;~:.¨ ¨.:~;=$###
£§*%\=-¨.. ..¨-=\%*§£
#@%;»^¨.,, ,,.¨^»;%@#
&%/~^¨¨.,¨ ¨,.¨¨^~/%&
†*=-¨¨..¨, ,¨..¨¨-=*†
^«-.¨¨,,.. ..,,¨¨.-«^
*\=,,.,,.¨ ¨.,,.,,=\*
£*;~~..¨,, ,,¨..~~;*£