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