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