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