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