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