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