,,..¨.¨.., ,..¨.¨..,,
,..¨,,¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨,,¨..,
,¨..,,¨,., ,.,¨,,..¨,
¨¨.,¨¨¨,¨. .¨,¨¨¨,.¨¨
¨...¨.¨.¨. .¨.¨.¨...¨
.¨,,¨¨¨,,¨ . ¨ , ¨,,¨¨¨,,¨.
^..,.,¨,.¨ , ¨.,¨,.,..^
-:.¨¨,¨.,¨ , ¨ ¨,.¨,¨¨.:-
:~,,¨..¨¨, % 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. ¨¨,,.~~:*£
=^«^..¨.¨, ,¨.¨..^«^=
*~:.,¨,.., ,..,¨,.:~*
»,,,..,¨.. ..¨,..,,,»
-..,¨,,,., ,.,,,¨,..-
.¨,.¨,.¨.. ..¨.,¨.,¨.
,..¨,..... .....,¨..,
,¨¨...,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,...¨¨,
.¨¨,.¨,.¨. .¨.,¨.,¨¨.
,¨.¨¨.,¨¨. .¨¨,.¨¨.¨,
:¨¨...¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨...¨¨: