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