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