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