.,»^*¤§### ###§¤*^»,.
.,~~^$$¤@# #@¤$$^~~,.
...^«\†¤## ##¤†\«^...
¨¨¨,:-^%§£ £§%^-:,¨¨¨
.,¨,¨^»=§$ $§=»^¨,¨,.
¨¨¨¨..-=†§ , , . §†=-..¨¨¨¨
¨,,.,.»:^£ , £^:».,.,,¨
,.¨¨.-:%$@ . . @$%:-.¨¨.,
..,.==^* % TINY BLUE PURPLE #&*^==.,..
.¨~-^%$@## - 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, , ^ $^*=:¨¨.¨,
¨¨¨..¨^~†% MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,~ %†~^¨..¨¨¨
.,,,.,»;^§ , CONFIRMING THAT SOME ~ §^;»,.,,,.
¨¨,.,«;*%§ ^ SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. §%*;«,.,¨¨
..,.=/=$&@ - . @&$=/=.,..
,.,«^*¤§## . THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - ##§¤*^«,.,
..»=*@## THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD ##@#&*=»..
..,-/%§# SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, ##&§%/-,..
,,,,~*^&¤@ TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. @¤&^*~,,,,
¨¨.¨-«;*$£ £$*;«-¨.¨¨
.¨.¨.,~:%% %%:~,.¨.¨.
.,¨.¨.-~:† †:~-.¨.¨,.
..¨.¨,~:^§ §^:~,¨.¨..
..,,,«*%££ ££%*«,,,..
.,,,~*%£@# #@£%*~,,,.
.¨^~^^&¤## ##¤&^^~^¨.
,,-=†¤£### ###£¤†=-,,
,.,~;†%£@# #@£%†;~,.,
,¨,.«†*$¤# #¤$*†«.,¨,