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