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