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