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