¨,¨..-^$#¶ ¶#$^-..¨,¨
¨,~/$@¤### ###¤@$/~,¨
¨,»^$@¤@## ##@¤@$^»,¨
,~=*\*==§& &§==*\*=~,
¨-«^†¤%§@# #@§%¤†^«-¨
¨~=:*%§#@# . ¨ ¨ #@#§%*:=~¨
¨:-=†§§¶## ¨ ##¶§§†=-:¨
,^=/^£§@£# ¨ . #£@§£^/=^,
.,,.::%$§@ * TINY BLUE PURPLE @§$%::.,,.
.~»;^££@@# ^ 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 - @£†^;«»».,
.,~;%%$£#@ THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD @#£$%%;~,.
¨^«;$*£¤#@ SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, @#¤£*$;«^¨
¨:~=*$#£## TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ##£#$*=~:¨
.~»/*%§### ###§%*/»~.
,,,¨¨.^:$§ §$:^.¨¨,,,
¨¨¨,¨¨«§%# #%§«¨¨,¨¨¨
....~«$¤¤@ @¤¤$«~....
,,~/†%£### ###£%†/~,,
.-=~\=^§£# #£§^=\~=-.
¨,¨,,.=*££ ££*=.,,¨,¨
.-»*=$#§§# #§§#$=*»-.
¨,.=-==£$# #$£==-=.,¨
¨.¨..;^†%£ £%†^;..¨.¨