¨,.,...¨., ,.¨...,.,¨
,,.,,¨.¨.¨ ¨.¨.¨,,.,,
¨¨¨,,...,. .,...,,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.¨,,¨. .¨,,¨.¨¨¨¨
,.,,,¨,.,, ,,.,¨,,,.,
,,,¨¨¨¨,¨¨ , . ¨ ¨¨,¨¨¨¨,,,
..,..,,¨¨~ . ~¨¨,,..,..
.,¨,,¨,.^~ ¨ , ~^.,¨,,¨,.
¨,¨,,.¨:»: = 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. @^/=~,..,.
,..¨,,:»:% %:»:,,¨..,
¨¨.,¨¨¨.»; ;».¨¨¨,.¨¨
..¨.....^« «^.....¨..
,,.¨..,..: :..,..¨.,,
,¨¨¨,..¨¨. .¨¨..,¨¨¨,
,.,¨.,¨,¨, ,¨,¨,.¨,.,
,.¨¨,.,.,¨ ¨,.,.,¨¨.,
,.¨¨..¨.¨. .¨.¨..¨¨.,
,.,,¨..¨¨. .¨¨..¨,,.,
,..¨,¨,,.. ..,,¨,¨..,