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