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