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