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