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