/-:,..¨,¨, ,¨,¨..,:-/
«~.,..¨..¨ ¨..¨..,.~«
-¨.,.¨,,., ,.,,¨.,.¨-
.,,¨..,,¨. .¨,,..¨,,.
,.¨.,,.,.. ..,.,,.¨.,
~.¨..¨,¨¨¨ ¨ , ¨ ¨¨¨,¨..¨.~
*».¨,.,.,, ¨ ,,.,.,¨.»*
^\~~,.¨.¨. ¨ . .¨.¨.,~~\^
§*:~-..,,, † 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. ¨¨,¨¨-«*=&
¤@%;~~..¨, ,¨..~~;%@¤
#§§=;~-.,¨ ¨,.-~;=§§#
#@&&=^«^,, ,,^«^=&&@#
##¶¤*^/~,¨ ¨,~/^*¤¶##
#£@%*\»^,, ,,^»\*%@£#
#§&*;~...¨ ¨...~;*&§#
¤**;=,..¨, ,¨..,=;**¤
&%:»:..,,, ,,,..:»:%&
§*~~¨¨.¨,¨ ¨,¨.¨¨~~*§
\»,.,,.,¨. .¨,.,,.,»\