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