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