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