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