.¨,¨¨¨.¨,= =,¨.¨¨¨,¨. ¨¨,.,,,.,- -,.,,,.,¨¨ ,¨.¨,¨,¨.. ..¨,¨,¨.¨, .,.¨.¨.¨.¨ ¨.¨.¨.¨.,. ...¨,,,,¨. .¨,,,,¨... ¨¨,,,¨.¨.¨ , ¨ ¨ ¨.¨.¨,,,¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.,.,,. ¨ .,,.,.¨¨¨¨ ..¨,..,.., ¨ . ,..,..,¨.. ,,,,,¨..:« † 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. #§§/~~¨,¨, .,,,,~»;§§ §§;»~,,,,. ,,¨,,,,~/† †/~,,,,¨,, ,¨.¨.,.~«* *«~.,.¨.¨, ¨,.¨.,¨¨.~ ~.¨¨,.¨.,¨ .¨,¨..,.,: :,.,..¨,¨. ¨,,¨,,.,,. .,,.,,¨,,¨ ¨,,¨.,...¨ ¨...,.¨,,¨ .,¨,,¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨,,¨,. ..¨,,,,,,. .,,,,,,¨.. ¨.¨,,,.,.. ..,.,,,¨.¨