¨..¨.,-~^% %^~-,.¨..¨
.,,.,^-:*$ $*:-^,.,,.
,.¨¨,«*§£§ §£§*«,¨¨.,
¨,,,~:†$#@ @#$†:~,,,¨
,¨,«;†£&¶@ @¶&£†;«,¨,
¨.=^%$££@# . ¨ . #@££$%^=.¨
¨¨-=:%$¤## , ##¤$%:=-¨¨
.,,:~;*$#@ ¨ ¨ @#$*;~:,,.
.¨.¨~=†%£¤ = TINY BLUE PURPLE ¤£%†=~¨.¨.
.,,..-»:%@ . SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE ¨ @%:»-..,,.
,.¨,..~~;$ 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. #§=/-^¨.¨.
¨,¨,.,=/** **/=,.,¨,¨
.¨,.,.~-** **-~.,.,¨.
,.,¨,¨.-~\ \~-.¨,¨,.,
,,,.¨,,.^~ ~^.,,¨.,,,
¨¨¨.,,,¨., ,.¨,,,.¨¨¨
.,¨¨¨¨,.¨¨ ¨¨.,¨¨¨¨,.
,..,,,¨¨,- -,¨¨,,,..,
.¨¨..¨¨¨,- -,¨¨¨..¨¨.
,¨¨.,.¨,~* *~,¨.,.¨¨,
,.,¨,,,«/§ §/«,,,¨,.,