..-^§@@@@# #@@@@§^-..
,,.»†=%@¶@ @¶@%=†».,,
..¨:~/§%&@ @&%§/~:¨..
,,¨.,«:§*& &*§:«,.¨,,
,,¨¨.:«*%£ £%*«:.¨¨,,
¨.¨,,¨,=^= , . , =^=,¨,,¨.¨
.,..,.¨-~† ¨ †~-¨.,..,.
¨,¨..,^~;% , . %;~^,..¨,¨
.,...,»=%% § 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 ##@£%$*-,¨
.¨~==†%&£# SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, #£&%†==~¨.
,.¨~»:*&¤# TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. #¤&*:»~¨.,
,¨.,~»^†££ ££†^»~,.¨,
¨,,,¨^=:*£ £*:=^¨,,,¨
..¨,,¨,=:% %:=,¨,,¨..
,.,¨¨¨,,«: :«,,¨¨¨,.,
.¨,.¨,^~** **~^,¨.,¨.
¨.¨¨¨.-*%£ £%*-.¨¨¨.¨
¨¨¨,:-^$§# #§$^-:,¨¨¨
,,¨,-*^§ #&§^*-,¨,,
.¨^«\%%@£@ @£@%%\«^¨.
..=†=¤¤¶## ##¶¤¤=†=..