¨..,-/£¤£¶ ¶£¤£/-,..¨
.-=*†§§£## ##£§§†*=-.
,,=/$£§#@# #@#§£$/=,,
¨.-:%¤#£## ##£#¤%:-.¨
¨-«††£&£## ##£&£††«-¨
¨,==%%@### , ¨ , ###@%%==,¨
,,-†=$£#@# ¨ #@#£$=†-,,
,~«†*¤@@## , ¨ ##@@¤*†«~,
¨--†$*§¶@# * TINY BLUE PURPLE #@¶§*$†--¨
¨,~/=&§@## . 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 @@£§%$*~:¨
.¨..¨,,:£@ SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, @£:,,¨..¨.
.-~^*%&@## TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ##@&%*^~-.
¨~===*@#@# #@#@*===~¨
,,^.~**§## ##§**~.^,,
,,~==%£### ###£%==~,,
.,~/=£&@@@ @@@&£=/~,.
,¨^.~»†£@# #@£†»~.^¨,
,,.,==*%@# #@%*==,.,,
,^«/§¤¤### ###¤¤§/«^,
.,...†%£## ##£%†...,.
,,,,^†%$£# #£$%†^,,,,
..«†$%££@# #@££%$†«..