##@@£§†«^, ,^«†§£@@##
@£=\~.,¨.¨ ¨.¨,.~\=£@
@@$=~-,¨., ,.¨,-~=$@@
#@@*^~.¨., ,.¨.~^*@@#
¶£:\,,,,¨. .¨,,,,\:£¶
@@£££%*»., , . . ,.»*%£££@@
###@$=^~:¨ , ¨:~^=$@###
##@#£$;~,, ¨ , ,,~;$£#@##
#£@$;=-,,, * TINY BLUE PURPLE ,,,-=;$@£#
##@§¤§†«-, - 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. ,^-:*¤####
#¤¤:-.,.¨. .¨.,.-:¤¤#
#@££¤^*«-, ,-«*^¤££@#
&*«=¨,.¨¨, ,¨¨.,¨=«*&
@#§/,,,,¨. .¨,,,,/§#@
####¤¤%*~~ ~~*%¤¤####
§@;:^¨.... ....¨^:;@§
##£#£%=«:. .:«=%£#£##
@£^:;,,,.¨ ¨.,,,;:^£@
##@¤£$*«,, ,,«*$£¤@##
###§$%:«~, ,~«:%$§###