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