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