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