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