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