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