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