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