¨...,.~=¤# #¤=~.,...¨
.:«^*@#@## ##@#@*^«:.
,-~*=*&@## ##@&*=*~-,
,.~\$§#&@# #@§$\~.,
¨¨.¨..~*£¤ ¤£*~..¨.¨¨
,.«*%$¤¶@# ¨ , ¨ #@¶¤$%*«.,
,,.¨=~*¤@# . #@¤*~=¨.,,
.^«\%§##@# ¨ ¨ #@##§%\«^.
,¨,.,.,*§# % Tiny Blue Purple #§*,.,.,¨,
,-»;*§## , Seal-Like (Selkie?) Creature . ###&§*;»-,
¨~»^%£¤##@ Hovering In Orbit Around~ @##¤£%^»~¨
¨,«*%%¶### The Earth, Spinning, Chasing. ###¶%%*«,¨
¨:»^^¤§£@£ . . £@£§¤^^»:¨
¨...~/^*@@ Looks At The Sun With Laser Eyes, @@*^/~...¨
.-»=^*§@## Looks At The Earth'S Power Grid,, ##@§*^=»-.
.~=/%%#### ¨ , , ####%%/=~.
¨^«/†¤&@## Says "Hmm...." « ##@&¤†/«^¨
,--\§$§#@# , #@#§$§\--,
¨.«*††@@§& % ¨ &§@@††*«.¨
¨¨¨,-.††§# . ^ #§††.-,¨¨¨
¨.»:=@@@## She Swims Toward The Iss. ##@@@=:».¨
¨,¨..=~=££ Matches Velocity, Phases Through The ££=~=..¨,¨
¨...¨.¨~^# Wall To A Pockocmoc Scientist, , #^~¨.¨...¨
.¨,-;=%££@ , ¨ @££%=;-,¨.
.,-\=£#@## She Says, "Hello", ##@#£=\-,.
,,«:%*§@¶# She Says "Are You Aware That #¶@§*%:«,,
¨^«;=&£@@# There'S A Burst #@@£&=;«^¨
¨,-«»*=§#@ » Coming?" ^ @#§=*»«-,¨
^~=$§#@### ~ ###@#§$=~^
.-»:%@$*%@ ~ 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. @#@&@%;-~¨
¨.,~~/=**@ @**=/~~,.¨
,.¨..^^;%¤ ¤%;^^..¨.,
,.~\=&*%£¶ ¶£%*&=\~.,
.:~;†$¤### ###¤$†;~:.
,~=;§@£¶@# #@¶£@§;=~,
.,,¨-/%^§# #§^%/-¨,,.
,,.,»†\*§£ £§*\†»,.,,
¨-~:$&@£## ##£@&$:~-¨
.¨¨.~†§&¶# #¶&§†~.¨¨.
....-*@@#¶ ¶#@@*-....