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