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