.~»\$@@### ###@@$\»~.
,.-«^@¤### ###¤@^«-.,
.¨,~~:@§¶# #¶§@:~~,¨.
,,.¨^«^%## ##%^«^¨.,,
.¨¨..~«^@£ £@^«~..¨¨.
,.,.¨,.=^¤ , , . ¤^=.,¨.,.,
¨¨.¨.,.^»/ . /»^.,.¨.¨¨
¨,¨,¨¨¨.^» , . »^.¨¨¨,¨,¨
¨.¨¨,¨,¨¨: † TINY BLUE PURPLE :¨¨,¨,¨¨.¨
,.¨,..,,,~ : SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE ¨ ~,,,..,¨.,
¨,¨¨,..,-: HOVERING IN ORBIT AROUND= :-,..,¨¨,¨
.¨..¨,-~=$ 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. ##§$;-^.,¨
,¨~~:¤#### ####¤:~~¨,
¨-~=£@@@## ##@@@£=~-¨
¨,^»†¤&¶## ##¶&¤†»^,¨
..,:«†@£¶# #¶£@†«:,..
¨,,.:«=£¤¶ ¶¤£=«:.,,¨
,¨.,,,«^¤¤ ¤¤^«,,,.¨,
,.¨,¨¨-=;£ £;=-¨¨,¨.,
.¨,,.,¨,~† †~,¨,.,,¨.
.,..¨.,.,= =,.,.¨..,.
,,,,,.¨,., ,.,¨.,,,,,