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