§¤^=,..,¨, ,¨,..,=^¤§
¶#§*»-¨.,¨ ¨,.¨-»*§#¶
##¤*%»,,,. .,,,»%*¤##
#@#¤£%»,,¨ ¨,,»%£¤#@#
##@##£†~-¨ ¨-~†£##@##
##£#$^-~¨, . , . ,¨~-^$#£##
#¶@£§»,.¨. . .¨.,»§£@¶#
@££%«,...¨ . . ¨...,«%££@
@**»~¨¨,¨, $ 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,§$§@ ,.¨.¨,«=@£
£%~,¨¨,¨,. #¨,# #.A DARK GLIMMERING LASERDISC.#.# # .,¨,¨¨,~%£
^~^¨.¨..¨. ,¨ , ¨ ¨ ¨ ., ¨ .¨..¨.¨^~^
~.,.,¨.¨,, .. SHE FEEDS.ON,THE PARTICLES WHEN. , ,,¨.¨,.,.~
.,...,¨.¨¨ ¨¨ THEY HIT HER STRETCHED SKIN. ¨ : ¨¨.¨,...,.
¨.,.¨,,.,¨ .¨ AND BEHIND,HERE IS.A SHADOW, AND : ¨,.,,¨.,.¨
,..¨¨,,¨.¨ ,IN THAT SHADOW.IS THE SPACE STATION.: ¨.¨,,¨¨..,
~~¨¨.¨.¨.. , . . ¨ , , ..¨.¨.¨¨~~
%«^,.¨,.¨. . ¨ , . . .¨.,¨.,^«%
§*»:..¨... A MONTH LATER,.THE EARTH IS STILL:DARK. ...¨..:»*§
£§==,.¨..¨ THERE'S NO CONTACT, ¨ - ¨..¨.,==§£
¶@£^~^,,¨¨ MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,, ¨¨,,^~^£@¶
@@££§~,.,¨ - CONFIRMING THAT SOME ~ ¨,.,~§££@@
####%§«,¨. , SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. .¨,«§%####
###£§*%»~¨ . ¨ ¨~»%*§£###
##£§¤*~,.¨ ~ THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - ¨.,~*¤§£##
#£#£%~~¨., THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD ,.¨~~%£#£#
@#&^-:¨,., SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, ,.,¨:-^&#@
@£†-:,¨.,¨ TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ¨,.¨,:-†£@
¤$~.,,,¨,, ,,¨,,,.~$¤
*~:..,,,,¨ ¨,,,,..:~*
-,..,.¨.¨. .¨.¨.,..,-
,.¨.,¨¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨¨,.¨.,
.,.¨.¨,¨.. ..¨,¨.¨.,.
-.,¨,,,,.¨ ¨.,,,,¨,.-
«,¨.¨¨,.¨. .¨.,¨¨.¨,«
§=^.,...¨, ,¨...,.^=§
£=~:.¨¨,,. .,,¨¨.:~=£
&**=:¨.,,. .,,.¨:=**&