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