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