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