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