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