,.¨.»\*£¶# #¶£*\».¨.,
.¨,=†%@¶@# #@¶@%†=,¨.
¨.«††§¶### ###¶§††«.¨
¨,~~=*¤#@# #@#¤*=~~,¨
,¨.-~:%§£@ @£§%:~-.¨,
.¨¨,,-\§#@ , , , @#§\-,,¨¨.
.,,..:~/^§ . §^/~:..,,.
¨,...,:»\§ , , §\»:,...,¨
.,,¨.~-=%¤ ^ 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. ##@#&*/-~.
.,,~/%#### ####%/~,,.
.¨¨.»††#¶# #¶#††».¨¨.
.¨.¨:~^=££ ££=^~:¨.¨.
..,.,.~^§¤ ¤§^~.,.,..
¨¨,.,,^»^= =^»^,,.,¨¨
..¨¨,^-†%@ @%†-^,¨¨..
.¨,.,=†%@@ @@%†=,.,¨.
¨..,=*§¤@@ @@¤§*=,..¨
,,,-\*##@# #@##*\-,,,
¨.=\=##### #####=\=.¨