#@@&%^†~.¨ ¨.~†^%&@@#
#@#&$**«.. ..«**$@#
##¶&§*/-~¨ ¨~-/*§&¶##
#@##%$\«-. .-«\$%##@#
##$;=~».,, ,,.»~=;$##
###¤¤%:»,¨ , ¨ . ¨,»:%¤¤###
##@¤&*^-~, ¨ ,~-^*&¤@##
#¶&§=»-¨¨, ¨ . ,¨¨-»=§&¶#
@#*%*«..¨¨ % TINY BLUE PURPLE ¨¨..«*%*#@
@%;-¨,,,., ^ SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE ¨ ,.,,,¨-;%@
###§$†:~,. 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. ¨.,..~:£$¤
@&@£@§=»,. ~ ¨ .,»=§@£@&@
@&%=,,..., , THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - ,...,,=%&@
@&§»,¨¨¨¨¨ THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD ¨¨¨¨¨,»§&@
#@¶&@==-.¨ SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, ¨.-==@&¶@#
&=»,.¨,,.. TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ..,,¨.,»=&
£¤£$**:=^¨ ¨^=:**$£¤£
###^~,...¨ ¨...,~^###
£¤§^;~,.., ,..,~;^§¤£
###@@£†=-, ,-=†£@@###
#@@@$$*~:¨ ¨:~*$$@@@#
###£$††=-¨ ¨-=††$£###
###§%%/~:. .:~/%%§###
¶£^:;=«»,. .,»«=;:^£¶
#@@£%=:«^. .^«:=%£@@#
@£†%%:^=~¨ ¨~=^:%%†£@