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