#$†\~-¨,., ,.,¨-~\†$#
@*:-,¨..,. .,..¨,-:*@
†/»:,.¨¨,, ,,¨¨.,:»/†
/«,,,,,¨,. .,¨,,,,,«/
-.,,¨¨.,¨¨ ¨¨,.¨¨,,.-
~,,...,¨.¨ ¨ . , ¨.¨,...,,~
.¨¨..,..¨. , .¨..,..¨¨.
.¨..,,,,., ¨ . ,.,,,,..¨.
¨¨¨,.¨,.,. * 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. ,.,¨¨..¨,.
¨¨.¨,,..., ,...,,¨.¨¨
.,¨¨,.,¨.. ..¨,.,¨¨,.
.¨¨¨.¨¨¨,, ,,¨¨¨.¨¨¨.
.,.,¨¨,¨,¨ ¨,¨,¨¨,.,.
,.¨.¨.¨,,¨ ¨,,¨.¨.¨.,
=,.,.,¨,.¨ ¨.,¨,.,.,=
†=,,,¨¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨¨,,,=†
=:»:,,¨,,, ,,,¨,,:»:=
£*=«,,,.¨, ,¨.,,,«=*£
#%§:~,¨..¨ ¨..¨,~:§%#