¶#*†*%:~-, ,-~:%*†*#¶
#@§%£%/«^. .^«/%£%§@#
#@@=~~¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨~~=@@#
#£*:«..¨¨, ,¨¨..«:*£#
###&¤$\-.¨ ¨.-\$¤##
@&$:«=-.., ¨ , , ,..-=«:$&@
#@@£@*:~-¨ ¨ ¨-~:*@£@@#
#@£&£^*«:¨ . . ¨:«*^£&£@#
#@@£%%†~~¨ * TINY BLUE PURPLE ¨~~†%%£@@#
£¤*..¨.,¨. , SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE ¨ .¨,.¨..*¤£
##£#%=/»^¨ HOVERING IN ORBIT AROUND» ¨^»/=%#£##
#@@§&*\~-, THE EARTH, SPINNING, CHASING. ,-~\*&§@@#
@¤£§^~,¨., , , ,.¨,~^§£¤@
#@¶¤¤%;~,. LOOKS AT THE SUN WITH LASER EYES, .,~;%¤¤¶@#
¶$*-~¨,.,, 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. ¨:«\†%####
£*:\::¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨::\:*£
##¶&£†\«,¨ ¨,«\†£&¶##
@&^/^,,,.. ..,,,^/^&@
##@#*%^«,¨ ¨,«^%*#@##
###&*^*=.. ..=*^*##
#@@#¤^\~-, ,-~\^¤#@@#
##¶£@^;«:. .:«;^@£¶##
###§%††~-¨ ¨-~††%§###
#*†*..~.¨¨ ¨¨.~..*†*#
###&@†/»,, ,,»/†@##