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