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