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