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