¨¨.¨¨¨¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨¨¨¨.¨¨
,¨,.....¨. .¨.....,¨,
.¨¨...¨,., ,.,¨...¨¨.
,,.,,,,.,¨ ¨,.,,,,.,,
,¨¨.,.,,¨, ,¨,,.,.¨¨,
..¨.,,,,.¨ , , , ¨.,,,,.¨..
¨¨,¨¨.,¨¨~ , ~¨¨,.¨¨,¨¨
¨..,..¨¨~~ . , ~~¨¨..,..¨
¨,,.,,,,«* $ 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. #@¶§$§^--¨
¨¨.~^**&#@ @#&**^~.¨¨
¨¨,,~**$@# #@$**~,,¨¨
¨..,^~;†¤¤ ¤¤†;~^,..¨
¨.¨¨¨^=^§& &§^=^¨¨¨.¨
,.,.,¨-=:% %:=-¨,.,.,
¨.¨...¨~~/ /~~¨...¨.¨
,,,,,¨,¨:- -:¨,¨,,,,,
,,...,¨,¨~ ~¨,¨,...,,
.,¨¨.¨,,.¨ ¨.,,¨.¨¨,.
,,...,.,.. ..,.,...,,