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