¨:~*%$£¶## ##¶£$%*~:¨
..-:$££@£¶ ¶£@££$:-..
,.¨,,^~;£@ @£;~^,,¨.,
..=:$#@### ###@#$:=..
,,,~=†\^%# #%^\†=~,,,
.,=^*$@### , ¨ , ###@$*^=,.
.¨.,¨-=%@@ ¨ @@%=-¨,.¨.
¨-=*$%££$# , ¨ #$££%$*=-¨
¨,=\%§$$$§ $ TINY BLUE PURPLE §$$$§%\=,¨
,-»*%$£### , SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE ¨ ###£$%*»-,
,-~**@#### 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, ##@¤$%^~~,
,~«=*@£¶## TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ##¶£@*=«~,
.,~/%§¤### ###¤§%/~,.
¨.~*=£##@# #@##£=*~.¨
¨,,,,,«;^@ @^;«,,,,,¨
.,~=§£#@## ##@#£§=~,.
,.¨.,-$*&& &&*$-,.¨.,
..,¨-,/*@& &@*/,-¨,..
.,-=†$#@## ##@#$†=-,.
....¨-==@@ @@==-¨....
.:»=†&£*£@ @£*£&†=»:.
..=†%%&¶@# #@¶&%%†=..