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