.¨,¨~~*%£¤                                          ¤£%*~~¨,¨.
¨¨,-«;†$§#                                          #§$†;«-,¨¨
..^~=%§§@#                                          #@§§%=~^..
.~=/^%####                                          ####%^/=~.
,,.«;%£¤##                                          ##¤£%;«.,,
,.,,~*†§¤#    ,              ,                    , #¤§†*~,,.,
¨,¨.,»\%§£          .                               £§%\»,.¨,¨
..¨,.,»;§@ ,                                .       @§;»,.,¨..
¨¨,¨¨,~~^†                %     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         #@#$^;=-,.
¨¨,-~;^%@@        Selkie-Induced Nursing Sleep,     @@%^;~-,¨¨
¨.¨¨,~\%%#       To Keep Their Heartbeats Slow.     #%%\~,¨¨.¨
,..,¨^~\=$                                          $=\~^¨,..,
,,..¨,.~*†                                          †*~.,¨..,,
.,.¨,,,~«/                                          /«~,,,¨.,.
,,.,¨¨,,,~                                          ~,,,¨¨,.,,
..,¨¨.,-==                                          ==-,.¨¨,..
¨¨,..¨^~/%                                          %/~^¨..,¨¨
,.,¨¨.~=**                                          **=~.¨¨,.,
¨.¨,,~/%£#                                          #£%/~,,¨.¨
¨.,.~^%§##                                          ##§%^~.,.¨
,.,«†*%#@#                                          #@#%*†«,.,