%%*=.¨¨,.. ..,¨¨.=*%%
#@^†~-.,., ,.,.-~†^@#
¶@§$†»^,¨, ,¨,^»†$§@¶
##§%=*«,., ,.,«*=%§##
##£¤*^:~^. .^~:^*¤£##
##&§$*«,.¨ , ¨ , ¨.,«*$§#
#¤%**~.¨., ¨ ,.¨.~**%¤#
@£%\«^.¨¨, ¨ . ,¨¨.^«\%£@
@§:~..,¨., * 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, ...,^~\=£§
#&$†/»-.,. TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. .,.-»/†$
##&**:»-.¨ ¨.-»:**#
##@@&§;~:. .:~;§&@@##
#££@%^«-,¨ ¨,-«^%@££#
@#$%=»^¨,, ,,¨^»=%$#@
&£*/«,.¨.¨ ¨.¨.,«/*£&
£*=~,¨,,¨, ,¨,,¨,~=*£
%=»,.¨..¨. .¨..¨.,»=%
¤$=«~,.,,. .,,.,~«=$¤
@§*;«~,,.¨ ¨.,,~«;*§@
@¤¤**-,,,. .,,,-**¤¤@