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