\»-,,.¨,,. .,,¨.,,-»\
~,..¨.¨,¨, ,¨,¨.¨..,~
\«:¨.,¨¨,, ,,¨¨,.¨:«\
†\~:¨¨¨,.¨ ¨.,¨¨¨:~\†
£%:=~,¨.,¨ ¨,.¨,~=:%£
&¤^^~~,¨,. , ¨ ¨ .,¨,~~^^¤&
¶&$*:=^¨.¨ . ¨.¨^=:*$&¶
#£#£$;~-., , ¨ ,.-~;$£#£#
#@¶&$*^«., * TINY BLUE PURPLE ,.«^*$&¶@#
#@§$†;=-,, ~ SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE . ,,-=;†$§@#
@£$^;=~.,¨ HOVERING IN ORBIT AROUND~ ¨,.~=;^$£@
§§*^«-..¨. 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. .,.:-:%¶
##@§%\-:.¨ ¨.:-\%§@##
###§**/=^¨ ¨^=/**§###
##§%%†=-.. ..-=†%%§##
@¤£^=~,,,¨ ¨,,,~=^£¤@
#%%:~,..¨¨ ¨¨..,~:%%#
¤=*«,¨,.,¨ ¨,.,¨,«*=¤
§;~,¨.¨¨,, ,,¨¨.¨,~;§
†=,¨,...., ,....,¨,=†
~~,,,,¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨,,,,~~
^»,.¨,¨¨,, ,,¨¨,¨.,»^