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