££*^~^..,¨ ¨,..^~^*££
*§;-^¨..,, ,,..¨^-;§*
*/»-¨¨¨.,¨ ¨,.¨¨¨-»/*
/=-.,,¨,,, ,,,¨,,.-=/
§\»^¨.,.,, ,,.,.¨^»\§
§%†=^,,.,, ¨ ¨ . ,,.,,^=†%§
#&%/«,¨¨¨, ¨ ,¨¨¨,«/%
£¤%%^-^.¨, ¨ ¨ ,¨.^-^%%¤£
@£#£*\~,.. % 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, ¨.¨,..»^†&
$;»,..¨¨,¨ TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ¨,¨¨..,»;$
*»~¨...,,¨ ¨,,...¨~»*
*/-..¨¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨¨..-/*
$$\»:¨.,¨. .¨,.¨:»\$$
&$=†~..,¨, ,¨,..~†=$&
@@£=/=~¨,. .,¨~=/=£@@
##@£%\~,¨¨ ¨¨,~\%£@##
###&%$†«.¨ ¨.«†$%##
#@#§†*».., ,..»*†§#@#
££§%†=..¨. .¨..=†%§££
&$†^~~,¨¨. .¨¨,~~^†$&