,~«\$$£#@# #@#£$$\«~,
,¨,«†$¤#¶# #¶#¤$†«,¨,
.¨,.~^§$¤£ £¤$§^~.,¨.
¨.¨¨.«*^$& &$^*«.¨¨.¨
,.,,,:~=%$ $%=~:,,,.,
...¨.¨-~^* ¨ , . *^~-¨.¨...
,,.¨¨,¨^~= , =~^¨,¨¨.,,
.¨¨,...¨~« ¨ . «~¨...,¨¨.
,¨.,,..,¨, † TINY BLUE PURPLE ,¨,..,,.¨,
.¨,¨¨¨,,., - SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE ¨ ,.,,¨¨¨,¨.
¨,¨¨.,,..¨ HOVERING IN ORBIT AROUND= ¨..,,.¨¨,¨
¨...,¨.,., THE EARTH, SPINNING, CHASING. ,.,.¨,...¨
.,¨,,¨¨.¨, ~ ¨ ,¨.¨¨,,¨,.
,¨,¨¨.¨.^- LOOKS AT THE SUN WITH LASER EYES, -^.¨.¨¨,¨,
,,......~= LOOKS AT THE EARTH'S POWER GRID,, =~......,,
.¨,¨¨.--\* ¨ , ¨ *\--.¨¨,¨.
,¨.,¨-~=^£ SAYS "HMM...." « £^=~-¨,.¨,
,,..-«^*%# . #%*^«-..,,
.,¨^~:%¤ † , #&¤%:~^¨,.
.¨~~:$$¤¶# ¨ - #¶¤$$:~~¨.
.~~*%*@£@# SHE SWIMS TOWARD THE ISS. #@£@*%*~~.
¨¨:«*§£§£@ MATCHES VELOCITY, PHASES THROUGH THE @£§£§*«:¨¨
¨¨.~-††&¤£ WALL TO A POCKOCMOC SCIENTIST, . £¤&††-~.¨¨
¨¨,.,«†%¤# . , #¤%†«,.,¨¨
.¨¨¨.^~*†@ SHE SAYS, "HELLO", @†*~^.¨¨¨.
¨¨,,,¨,-*^ SHE SAYS "ARE YOU AWARE THAT ^*-,¨,,,¨¨
,,.¨.,.~»\ THERE'S A BURST \»~.,.¨.,,
¨,,.¨.,¨~~ « COMING?" * ~~¨,.¨.,,¨
,..,..¨¨¨: » :¨¨¨..,..,
¨¨.,,¨,¨., - AND THE STATION PERSONNEL ,.¨,¨,,.¨¨
.,.,¨...,. ARE LIKE, NO, WHAT, ~ .,...¨,.,.
,¨¨,,¨..., WHO ARE YOU, ETCETERA, ETCETERA. ,...¨,,¨¨,
,....¨¨¨.^ \ ; ^.¨¨¨....,
¨¨.¨¨.,.,~ SHE SAYS\"I CAN PROTECT YOU ~,.,.¨¨.¨¨
¨¨¨.¨,,~=* : IN YOUR TIN CAN, : * *=~,,¨.¨¨¨
,...¨.,«:^ BUT YOUR PLANETARY FRIENDS, # ^:«,.¨...,
,,.,,~~*** THEIR GRID WILL BE BURNED." % ***~~,,.,,
¨..¨:~:%£¤ = % ^ % ¤£%:~:¨..¨
.¨.,-\$¤£# SHE SAYS "YOU WILL BE ALONE @ £ #£¤$\-,.¨.
,..=:^@@@@ £ FOR A WHILE". § % @@@@^:=..,
.,~*%*#### # £ # ####*%*~,.
.,~»;†$§@# & ¤ £ % ¤ £ *& † * #@§$†;»~,.
,,,,«/*@@¶ ,~THE SELKIE PHASES BACK OUT,-~--§.¤-,,, ¶@@*/«,,,,
.¨,¨^~†$%& ¤:@†¤:#/£†£SPREADS HER MEMBRANES,;@\#\§; &%$†~^¨,¨.
¨...,,=*^£ %&$§£$%@$$£%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. ##§**=^..,
¨...:-=§$§ §$§=-:...¨
,,.¨.^~;%§ §%;~^.¨.,,
,¨,¨.¨:~:% %:~:¨.¨,¨,
¨.,,.,,-~; ;~-,,.,,.¨
¨....,...- -...,....¨
¨¨.¨,..,., ,.,..,¨.¨¨
,,¨¨,..¨¨, ,¨¨..,¨¨,,
.¨.¨¨,,¨,, ,,¨,,¨¨.¨.
,¨¨..,¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨,..¨¨,
,,..,.,¨,^ ^,¨,.,..,,