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