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