^=~.¨.,¨.,                                          ,.¨,.¨.~=^
*\-,..¨,.¨                                          ¨.,¨..,-\*
$§/».¨,¨,.                                          .,¨,¨.»/§$
¶¤%*~^,..,                                          ,..,^~*%¤¶
##$*/=,,..                                          ..,,=/*$##
##¶§§;~,,¨    .              .                    ¨ ¨,,~;§§¶##
###¶§%*~~¨          ¨                               ¨~~*%§¶###
###£=:-..¨ ¨                                .       ¨..-:=£###
#@¤$†-:.,¨                †     Tiny Blue Purple    ¨,.:-†$¤@#
¶§%\»:,.¨¨     ~  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,     ¨¨:==%%£##
##§$;=...,       To Keep Their Heartbeats Slow.     ,...=;$§##
#£^*~^..¨¨                                          ¨¨..^~*^£#
§=/=^,,¨,.                                          .,¨,,^=/=§
^/=..¨,,.¨                                          ¨.,,¨..=/^
/=,.¨,.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.,¨.,=/
=^.¨..,,.¨                                          ¨.,,..¨.^=
,.¨..,.,,¨                                          ¨,,.,..¨.,
¨.,..,.¨,,                                          ,,¨.,..,.¨
.,¨,,.¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨.,,¨,.
»^,¨,¨.¨,.                                          .,¨.¨,¨,^»
^=^¨.,¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨,.¨^=^