..,¨:~=$@@ @@$=~:¨,..
¨,«:^@§### ###§@^:«,¨
¨¨.¨:../§# #§/..:¨.¨¨
.~-=†^$@#& @$^†=-~.
.¨,,;/^%@§ §@%^/;,,¨.
,:~--~\$¤@ . . . @¤$\~--~:,
¨=†$£§¶@## . ##@¶§£$†=¨
.--\^*¤### , . ###¤*^\--.
¨:=†*£@##@ § TINY BLUE PURPLE @##@£*†=:¨
¨.,.^~=*%& ^ SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE , &%*=~^.,.¨
¨,,.,,~*£¶ HOVERING IN ORBIT AROUND- ¶£*~,,.,,¨
.¨,.:«†£§¤ THE EARTH, SPINNING, CHASING. ¤§£†«:.,¨.
¨^«/*£¤¶@# . ¨ #@¶¤£*/«^¨
..~*†£@£## LOOKS AT THE SUN WITH LASER EYES, ##£@£†*~..
,^=§#### LOOKS AT THE EARTH'S POWER GRID,, #####&§=^,
.,-»~^%&@@ ¨ , . @@&%^~»-,.
¨-«=^§*£@£ SAYS "HMM...." - £@£*§^=«-¨
¨.»*§£¤§## ¨ ##§¤£§*».¨
¨^=/%§@#£@ † ¨ @£#@§%/=^¨
,,-/^%@@@¶ . ~ ¶@@@%^/-,,
.¨¨.=«%@@@ SHE SWIMS TOWARD THE ISS. @@@%«=.¨¨.
,¨.¨.=^@%& MATCHES VELOCITY, PHASES THROUGH THE &%@^=.¨.¨,
¨.,,..-%#@ WALL TO A POCKOCMOC SCIENTIST, , @#%-..,,.¨
¨,«=*%£@## ~ . ##@£%*=«,¨
¨,¨.,~^£@¶ SHE SAYS, "HELLO", ¶@£^~,.¨,¨
....:~/^£¤ SHE SAYS "ARE YOU AWARE THAT ¤£^/~:....
¨,,.¨~/££@ THERE'S A BURST @££/~¨.,,¨
.^-/*£&¶@# » COMING?" * #@¶&£*/-^.
¨^~=^%## - ###&%^=~^¨
.,«†$¤&@## - 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. ###@$=/~,¨
.,.~^%=§^§ §^§=%^~.,.
¨....~:%¤# #¤%:~....¨
¨,¨,-,.†@£ £@†.,-,¨,¨
..«\*%£#@# #@#£%*\«..
,¨-:-=%@¤@ @¤@%=-:-¨,
.:»/%$## ###&$%/»:.
..-/*@¤@## ##@¤@*/-..
,~»:^$§¶@# #@¶§$^:»~,
.,=^%$§@## ##@§$%^=,.
¨^~,.*¤£&@ @&£¤*.,~^¨