¨.~^^§¤£## ##£¤§^^~.¨
..¨,¨.»%¤# #¤%».¨,¨..
¨¨¨.-=^@£¶ ¶£@^=-.¨¨¨
¨.~*$§@#@# #@#@§$*~.¨
¨.¨,*%§##£ £##§%*,¨.¨
¨.~:%¤#¶## , , ¨ ##¶#¤%:~.¨
¨...^^~-*& . &*-~^^...¨
.-~;*%§£@# . , #@£§%*;~-.
¨,,.-..=%¤ † 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, ##¶@£=/~^,
,.^*$##### TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. #####$*^.,
.,=:§@## ###&@§:=,.
¨,~^*¤#### ####¤*^~,¨
¨.«:=¤#@## ##@#¤=:«.¨
.-»;$£§### ###§£$;»-.
,,=*†%§¤ #&¤§%†*=,,
.:~*$$£#@# #@#£$$*~:.
~=**$#@### ###@#$**=~
.¨.¨¨~$§%# #%§$~¨¨.¨.
..-:$¤§£## ##£§¤$:-..
.-=^†$#### ####$†^=-.