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