¨.¨¨,.,,,, ,,,,.,¨¨.¨
¨¨¨¨¨.,¨.¨ ¨.¨,.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨.,¨¨¨¨.. ..¨¨¨¨,.¨¨
¨.......¨. .¨.......¨
-¨¨,,¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨,,¨¨-
=,,¨..,,,¨ , ¨ , ¨,,,..¨,,=
:~^,..,,¨. , .¨,,..,^~:
%\=,,...¨. . . .¨...,,=\%
&*^=,.¨.., % 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. ¨¨¨¨.,,:-/
=^..,¨,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,¨,..^=
,¨¨.¨,.¨,, ,,¨.,¨.¨¨,
¨,¨.¨¨,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,¨¨.¨,¨
.....¨¨,,, ,,,¨¨.....
,....¨.¨., ,.¨.¨....,
¨...,,,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,,,...¨
¨...¨¨.¨., ,.¨.¨¨...¨
:,¨¨.¨..,. .,..¨.¨¨,:
»~,,.,,.¨¨ ¨¨.,,.,,~»
\~.¨,¨¨,,. .,,¨¨,¨.~\