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