.,..,^-:*¤ ¤*:-^,..,.
,¨¨¨.¨:»== ==»:¨.¨¨¨,
¨,..,^=/%¤ ¤%/=^,..,¨
,¨¨¨,«:^£¤ ¤£^:«,¨¨¨,
.,¨,=^§$£# #£$§^=,¨,.
,¨:»†%§&@@ ¨ . ¨ @@&§%†»:¨,
,,~*%£&¶## , ##¶&£%*~,,
.,-«;%&¤## , ¨ ##¤&%;«-,.
.,¨--=*$@@ † TINY BLUE PURPLE @@$*=--¨,.
.,..-«/%%§ : 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, ¨ , ¶§$%*-~.,¨
..,«**££@@ MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,~ @@££**«,..
,-=;†§£### - CONFIRMING THAT SOME ^ ###£§†;=-,
¨¨,«=^*£¶@ . SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. @¶£*^=«,¨¨
,¨.~»†$%¤# , , #¤%$†»~.¨,
..,,-~^*&£ : THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - £&*^~-,,..
,¨,..,===§ THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD §===,..,¨,
..¨..,^=^= SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, =^=^,..¨..
.,..¨,=*§£ TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. £§*=,¨..,.
.¨,.^=;§%# #%§;=^.,¨.
.¨.:-^*§#£ £#§*^-:.¨.
..,-*†§§#@ @#§§†*-,..
,~~/*£@@## ##@@£*/~~,
.,,~=§££¶@ @¶££§=~,,.
,¨.~=**&@# #@&**=~.¨,
.,¨,,»*$£& &£$*»,,¨,.
,,¨¨.^~:%£ £%:~^.¨¨,,
¨¨¨,¨,-»;^ ^;»-,¨,¨¨¨
¨..,,:~==$ $==~:,,..¨