,.:-:%%£@# #@£%%:-:.,
.,=/%$#@## ##@#$%/=,.
.,^~;*£### ###£*;~^,.
.,,~=^^$@# #@$^^=~,,.
..¨,^=/§@£ £@§/=^,¨..
.,¨¨¨^~/^£ ¨ ¨ , £^/~^¨¨¨,.
..,.¨,:»/^ , ^/»:,¨.,..
¨..,,,,,~\ , . \~,,,,,..¨
.,¨.,¨¨,,= * 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. ¨,¨.,¨¨...
,.,,¨¨,,,, ,,,,¨¨,,.,
,¨¨..,.,,. .,,.,..¨¨,
.,¨.,,..., ,...,,.¨,.
,¨.¨,¨,.., ,..,¨,¨.¨,
..¨¨,.¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨.,¨¨..
..¨.¨.¨,,, ,,,¨.¨.¨..
.,,¨..,¨,, ,,¨,..¨,,.
¨,,,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,,,¨
,,,¨,.,.¨- -¨.,.,¨,,,
¨¨.¨,¨,¨~~ ~~¨,¨,¨.¨¨