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