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