$*=-,¨,¨,. .,¨,¨,-=*$
@£*:«:¨.,¨ ¨,.¨:«:*£@
£@§*†»^¨,¨ ¨,¨^»†*§@£
##&§*\«~,, ,,~«\*§#
##@&£^:«~. .~«:^£&@##
@@#¤*^«~.. . , ¨ ..~«^*¤#@@
@#§$=~,¨., , ,.¨,~=$§#@
¤£%*«..,,¨ . , ¨,,..«*%£¤
§=\»..¨.¨, $ 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,£*$£ ,.,¨,¨..,~
«-,¨..,,.¨ #.¨# #,A DARK GLIMMERING LASERDISC.#¨# # ¨.,,..¨,-«
/~~,,,.,,¨ ., , . ¨ , ¨. , ¨,,.,,,~~/
%\«-,,¨¨., ¨. SHE FEEDS.ON¨THE PARTICLES WHEN. , ,.¨¨,,-«\%
%†^=..,.¨. .. THEY HIT HER STRETCHED SKIN. . ~ .¨.,..=^†%
¤%==~,.¨,. .. AND BEHIND¨HERE IS¨A SHADOW, AND , .,¨.,~==%¤
@&§†;~.¨,, ¨IN THAT SHADOW.IS THE SPACE STATION.~ ,,¨.~;†§&@
@@#%=:«-.¨ . , , , , . ¨.-«:=%#@@
##@¤§=^-^, ¨ , ¨ ¨ , ,^-^=§¤@##
##£%%;»,,. A MONTH LATER,.THE EARTH IS STILL,DARK. .,,»;%%£##
#£*%*=..., THERE'S NO CONTACT, ¨ - ,...=*%*£#
&**:~:,¨,, MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,^ ,,¨,:~:**&
@§\~^,,¨¨¨ : CONFIRMING THAT SOME , ¨¨¨,,^~\§@
§^«:,¨,.., , SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. ,..,¨,:«^§
^=:,..¨,¨. . . .¨,¨..,:=^
«,.,...¨¨, : THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - ,¨¨...,.,«
,,,,.,.¨., THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD ,.¨.,.,,,,
--..¨¨,,,, SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, ,,,,¨¨..--
:=,¨.¨,,¨, TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ,¨,,¨.¨,=:
§†~-,¨,.,¨ ¨,.,¨,-~†§
£%=«^,¨,,¨ ¨,,¨,^«=%£
&@$:»^,,.¨ ¨.,,^»:$@&
#¤§*==^.¨, ,¨.^==*§¤#
#¶&£**-,.¨ ¨.,-**£&¶#
#@£¤$=*»,¨ ¨,»*=$¤£@#
#£¤*†/»,,¨ ¨,,»/†*¤£#
¶@£^=»^,¨¨ ¨¨,^»=^£@¶
&**;~.¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨.~;**&
¤§/»~¨.,,. .,,.¨~»/§¤