,.,,¨,--/= =/--,¨,,.,
,,.,,-~**@ @**~-,,.,,
.,,¨-«^§$§ §$§^«-¨,,.
¨,¨~~*§£&@ @&£§*~~¨,¨
,,:~†^&¤## ##¤&^†~:,,
,-»=^$#£## ¨ . ¨ ##£#$^=»-,
..^~†*¤@@# , #@@¤*†~^..
¨.,-»:§£££ . ¨ £££§:»-,.¨
.,¨¨,~;$&@ % TINY BLUE PURPLE @&$;~,¨¨,.
.,¨,..-\=% : 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. $*==-,¨.,.
¨¨,,¨.~«;^ ~ ¨ ^;«~.¨,,¨¨
..,¨¨.¨.»\ , THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - \».¨.¨¨,..
¨..,.,,.~» THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD »~.,,.,..¨
,..¨,,,,.- SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, -.,,,,¨..,
,.¨¨¨,¨¨-» TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. »-¨¨,¨¨¨.,
¨.,,,¨.:~/ /~:.¨,,,.¨
¨.,¨¨.^=\% %\=^.¨¨,.¨
¨.¨¨.-==*¤ ¤*==-.¨¨.¨
.¨.,,»/†$& &$†/»,,.¨.
,¨.^»/^%&£ £&%^/»^.¨,
..:«*$%@## ##@%$*«:..
¨:~^%§§@@# #@@§§%^~:¨
¨.:~:†&§#@ @#§&†:~:.¨
,,.,-;%£¤¶ ¶¤£%;-,.,,
,,,,,~^$£¤ ¤£$^~,,,,,