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