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