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