£^~,¨.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.¨,~^£
¶#£;,.¨.,. .,.¨.,;£#¶
@§^*†-=-.¨ ¨.-=-†*^§@
§$~~¨¨¨.,, ,,.¨¨¨~~$§
@&*~»==«-, ,-«==»~*&@
@@£%:=,,., , . . ,.,,=:%£@@
###@@*†»^, , ,^»†*@@###
@#&&^††--. . , .--††^&@
###@%**«:¨ $ 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, ¨,~=%$#¶##
@£#§=~,..¨ TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ¨..,~=§#£@
##@@£††~,. .,~††£@@##
####%$=»-¨ ¨-»=$%####
@&;,:.¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨.:,;&@
£%^»¨¨.¨.. ..¨.¨¨»^%£
@$^*=,...¨ ¨...,=*^$@
#£@£††*~~, ,~~*††£@£#
¶%%=¨...¨¨ ¨¨...¨=%%¶
##§%^~«,,, ,,,«~^%§##
##£@@*;=,¨ ¨,=;*@@£##
###£%=*~., ,.~*=%£###