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