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