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