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