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