....,^^*¤& &¤*^^,....
,¨¨¨:†*$@# #@$*†:¨¨¨,
¨,¨,*†£¤#@ @#¤£†*,¨,¨
,¨^\†%&#@# #@#&%†\^¨,
¨:†*£§¶### ###¶§£*†:¨
¨,-/†$@@## , . ¨ ##@@$†/-,¨
¨.¨,\**@#@ , @#@**\,¨.¨
.,.,,\*§@@ . ¨ @@§*\,,.,.
,,..,,:*£@ † 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 - $%^:¨,.,,¨
¨,,,¨-*=§£ THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD £§=*-¨,,,¨
.¨¨.:/%%&@ SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, @&%%/:.¨¨.
...^;*%£## TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ##£%*;^...
,¨,\^@¤@## ##@¤@^\,¨,
.^\%¤¤#### ####¤¤%\^.
.,:\^¤£@## ##@£¤^\:,.
¨,¨,;*@@#@ @#@@*;,¨,¨
,.,,-^=£## ##£=^-,,.,
,.,,,~==$§ §$==~,,,.,
,,.¨,.^=§§ §§=^.,¨.,,
¨,¨,.¨.,\$ $\,.¨.,¨,¨
.,¨.,.,¨.\ \.¨,.,.¨,.
,,¨,,¨.¨.: :.¨.¨,,¨,,