¨¨¨:»:*$£¶ ¶£$*:»:¨¨¨
.¨¨,.~*$@# #@$*~.,¨¨.
¨¨¨.¨.«\*¤ ¤*\«.¨.¨¨¨
,¨¨.,~=%%§ §%%=~,.¨¨,
,¨¨,«=§§ #&§§=«,¨¨,
.,:=/*%#@# . . , #@#%*/=:,.
.:~;=§§@## . ##@§§=;~:.
..^~\$£# . ¨ ##&£$\~^..
,¨,:-*†¤£# % TINY BLUE PURPLE #£¤†*-:,¨,
...¨.»=*%@ , SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE . @%*=».¨...
...¨.,-:*% HOVERING IN ORBIT AROUND» %*:-,.¨...
,.¨,:«\%§# THE EARTH, SPINNING, CHASING. #§%\«:,¨.,
,¨¨^»:*%#£ , , £#%*:»^¨¨,
¨.:===*&¶# LOOKS AT THE SUN WITH LASER EYES, #¶&*===:.¨
,.~^†£§¶## LOOKS AT THE EARTH'S POWER GRID,. ##¶§£†^~.,
.¨,~†%@@## , . , ##@@%†~,¨.
,,,,=\§$¤@ 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, ###¤§:«,.,
,,=;†$§@## TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ##@§$†;=,,
.,.»:†$£@# #@£$†:».,.
,..:«/=%¤# #¤%=/«:..,
,,,.,~^%&@ @&%^~,.,,,
,¨,¨,.=†$£ £$†=.,¨,¨,
.,,¨:-/=£¤ ¤£=/-:¨,,.
.¨..«\$*¤¶ ¶¤*$\«..¨.
¨,-~†%$#@# #@#$%†~-,¨
¨,=/$*## ###&*$/=,¨
¨.-=^†@¤£# #£¤@†^=-.¨
¨,¨^-/=¤ #&¤=/-^¨,¨