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