#¶&$$*~.,¨ ¨,.~*$$&¶#
##@£¤§*~:, ,:~*§¤£@##
#@£%^*=,¨¨ ¨¨,=*^%£@#
@§*§/~-.¨, ,¨.-~/§*§@
¤@%/«.,,¨, ,¨,,.«/%@¤
##%††«,¨¨¨ . , , ¨¨¨,«††%##
#£&&^;~,.¨ , ¨.,~;^&&£#
##¶@¤*=~^. , , .^~=*¤@¶##
##@¤%;=,.¨ ^ 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 ¨,,=^§£&¶#
##@#$**«~, Selkie-Induced Nursing Sleep, ,~«**$#@##
#@@$*;=^¨, To Keep Their Heartbeats Slow. ,¨^=;*$@@#
@#§%/«:,,, ,,,:«/%§#@
#&$†«.,¨.¨ ¨.¨,.«†$
£&¤%;«-.,, ,,.-«;%¤&£
##¤&$/~-,, ,,-~/$&¤##
##£&£^;=,, ,,=;^£&£##
##¤§§^~,¨. .¨,~^§§¤##
£§$^=»,¨,, ,,¨,»=^$§£
@¤†;=:¨¨.. ..¨¨:=;†¤@
@¤&*†=.¨., ,.¨.=†*&¤@
#¶@$%*«^., ,.^«*%$@¶#