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