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