..¨¨¨.¨... ...¨.¨¨¨..
,,¨.,,¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨,,.¨,,
.,¨,¨,..,^ ^,..,¨,¨,.
..,,¨.¨.:- -:.¨.¨,,..
¨,,,,.¨-«† †«-¨.,,,,¨
,,.¨¨,.=;† ¨ . ¨ †;=.,¨¨.,,
..,,,,»^%$ . $%^»,,,,..
,,¨¨^=/§££ , . ££§/=^¨¨,,
,,¨-»=%£&¶ § TINY BLUE PURPLE ¶&£%=»-¨,,
¨.,~\^%&## . SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE . ##&%^\~,.¨
¨,=:§%¤@## HOVERING IN ORBIT AROUND« ##@¤%§:=,¨
,,:~^*¤### THE EARTH, SPINNING, CHASING. ###¤*^~:,,
¨¨¨,-/*&#¶ . , ¶#&*/-,¨¨¨
¨¨,¨.=:=*§ LOOKS AT THE SUN WITH LASER EYES, §*=:=.¨,¨¨
..¨¨,.~*=£ LOOKS AT THE EARTH'S POWER GRID,, £=*~.,¨¨..
.,¨,,¨:~/= , ¨ ¨ =/~:¨,,¨,.
.¨.,¨..-~/ SAYS "HMM...." ~ /~-..¨,.¨.
,..,¨,,.-« ¨ «-.,,¨,..,
.,.¨.¨¨,., * ¨ ,.,¨¨.¨.,.
¨,,.,.,.,¨ , - ¨,.,.,.,,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,¨.. SHE SWIMS TOWARD THE ISS. ..¨,¨¨¨¨¨¨
.,¨.¨.¨.¨¨ MATCHES VELOCITY, PHASES THROUGH THE ¨¨.¨.¨.¨,.
¨..,,.,¨¨, WALL TO A POCKOCMOC SCIENTIST, . ,¨¨,.,,..¨
,,.,.¨,,., - . ,.,,¨.,.,,
...¨¨¨..¨, SHE SAYS, "HELLO", ,¨..¨¨¨...
,,,¨,,,,-- SHE SAYS "ARE YOU AWARE THAT --,,,,¨,,,
,¨¨¨,.¨.~: THERE'S A BURST :~.¨.,¨¨¨,
¨¨,,¨.,-;* « COMING?" § *;-,.¨,,¨¨
,¨,¨¨:-*%§ = §%*-:¨¨,¨,
¨¨¨¨^=*^$& « 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. ^..¨¨,¨.¨,
,...¨,¨.,. .,.¨,¨...,
,.¨.,...¨. .¨...,.¨.,
,¨,,¨¨,¨,, ,,¨,¨¨,,¨,
..,..,.¨,¨ ¨,¨.,..,..
¨,¨,,..,¨. .¨,..,,¨,¨
,,,,¨..¨¨~ ~¨¨..¨,,,,
,...¨.,.~» »~.,.¨...,
.¨,¨,.,,»: :»,,.,¨,¨.
,¨,¨¨,^~^* *^~^,¨¨,¨,
.¨,,¨^«^§£ £§^«^¨,,¨.