,,¨.¨,¨¨¨. .¨¨¨,¨.¨,,
,,,¨,..,¨. .¨,..,¨,,,
,¨¨..,¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨,..¨¨,
,..¨,,,,¨, ,¨,,,,¨..,
~,¨..,,¨¨. .¨¨,,..¨,~
;~^¨¨,¨.¨, , . , ,¨.¨,¨¨^~;
^\=.¨,,¨.. ¨ ..¨,,¨.=\^
£=†=-..,,¨ ¨ . ¨,,..-=†=£
@¤*;~,,.¨. % 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. ....,»=*¤&
§==~^,¨..¨ ¨..¨,^~==§
*†~,¨,,.¨, ,¨.,,¨,~†*
†=,.¨¨,.., ,..,¨¨.,=†
~^..¨¨..,. .,..¨¨..^~
..¨.¨,.¨,, ,,¨.,¨.¨..
.,¨¨,¨,.,¨ ¨,.,¨,¨¨,.
.¨¨,¨.,,.. ..,,.¨,¨¨.
.¨,¨.¨.,¨, ,¨,.¨.¨,¨.
.¨,.,,.,.¨ ¨.,.,,.,¨.
,,,.,¨..¨¨ ¨¨..¨,.,,,