.^~^†££@@# #@@££†^~^.
,~«;*@@¶## ##¶@@*;«~,
.,.¨.-:@$£ £$@:-.¨.,.
.--†*£¤£## ##£¤£*†--.
¨¨,,~»*&§& &§&*»~,,¨¨
,,=:/\†@ , . . @#&†\/:=,,
.,¨~^=&%£¤ ¨ ¤£%&=^~¨,.
¨^«**%¤@## , , ##@¤%**«^¨
.~~†*%#@@# * 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,;&*£*&= @§@%^=:¨¨.
,.~/%@¤¶## §&££%*£$$*&&LIKE FLUID INSECT WINGS,@&§* ##¶¤@%/~.,
.-«;%%#@## #..# #,A DARK GLIMMERING LASERDISC.#.# # ##@#%%;«-.
..«/%§@@@# .¨ ¨ . . ¨ ,¨ . #@@@§%/«..
¨.=/†¤&¶## ,, SHE FEEDS.ON.THE PARTICLES WHEN¨ - ##¶&¤†/=.¨
..¨.,==### ¨, THEY HIT HER STRETCHED SKIN. ¨ , ###==,.¨..
,~«**&@£@# .. AND BEHIND,HERE IS¨A SHADOW, AND ^ #@£@&**«~,
,,,,,~/^*# ,IN THAT SHADOW,IS THE SPACE STATION.- #*^/~,,,,,
,^==^@£¶@# , . , , ¨ : #@¶£@^==^,
.,¨.-*†¤&¤ ¨ . ¨ , . ¤&¤†*-.¨,.
,,¨¨.==§&@ A MONTH LATER,.THE EARTH IS STILL.DARK. @&§==.¨¨,,
¨.«=††§%^£ THERE'S NO CONTACT, . ^ £^%§††=«.¨
¨~=^&¤#### MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,~ ####¤&^=~¨
..¨¨¨:::%# ^ CONFIRMING THAT SOME , #%:::¨¨¨..
.^«*$£@@## : SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. ##@@£$*«^.
.~»;=$§##@ : . @##§$=;»~.
.~«†=$## . THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - ###&$=†«~.
..~=$¤¤¶@# THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD #@¶¤¤$=~..
¨,-*†%¤@#@ SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, @#@¤%†*-,¨
.-~^*%¤&¤@ TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. @¤&¤%*^~-.
,,»:**££@# #@££**:»,,
¨.,^:†§&§# #§&§†:^,.¨
.,=^*£#### ####£*^=,.
,¨-:=%%&¶# #¶&%%=:-¨,
¨,¨¨=*$£#§ §#£$*=¨¨,¨
¨:«/$$@### ###@$$/«:¨
,:=:^£££## ##£££^:=:,
..=;$¤§@## ##@§¤$;=..
.¨.:,.,«^£ £^«,.,:.¨.
.-=†=&&@## ##@&&=†=-.