###&$*^=-. .-=^*$##
@¤=«.,¨,,¨ ¨,,¨,.«=¤@
&=$%==:.¨. .¨.:==%$=&
##¶§$%:«~¨ ¨~«:%$§¶##
¤§¤$\,-,.¨ ¨.,-,\$¤§¤
##£¤%§*=,¨ . ¨ , ¨,=*§%¤£##
#@&^,,,,,. ¨ .,,,,,^&@#
@%*%^*:~~, . ¨ ,~~:*^%*%@
@#¶@£^\--. % TINY BLUE PURPLE .--\^£@¶#@
##¶£&%^-:¨ . SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE ¨ ¨:-^%&£¶##
###§$*†»~. 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. ¨,«^*&@###
@#¤¤$«-.,. .,.-«$¤¤#@
###¤$%*=,, ,,=*%$¤###
§¤§†=/*«^¨ ¨^«*/=†§¤§
##@¶&*;~,. .,~;*&¶@##
#££†*%/«-. .-«/%*†££#
##££*^\~,, ,,~\^*££##
#@££&%:»,, ,,»:%&££@#
##@¤&%\=., ,.=\%&¤@##
£§#&£%:«:¨ ¨:«:%£§£
###¤£*:«^, ,^«:*£¤###