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