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