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