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