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