.^=;$&§#@#                                          #@#§&$;=^.
¨.,~=*%££#                                          #££%*=~,.¨
¨.,:-;%*#¶                                          ¶#*%;-:,.¨
..¨.~-:=¤¤                                          ¤¤=:-~.¨..
¨¨,,¨~«†§&                                          &§†«~¨,,¨¨
.,.,,,~=;%    ,              .                    ¨ %;=~,,,.,.
.¨¨.¨.¨,=†          .                               †=,¨.¨.¨¨.
¨.¨.,,.=:† ¨                                .       †:=.,,.¨.¨
¨....~«=*£                %     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,£%££ *$=~,....,
.¨.,:«=§¤§ #¨.# #¨A Dark Glimmering Laserdisc.#,# # §¤§=«:,.¨.
,.,,-/=¤£@  ¨¨   ¨       ¨  ¨    ¨    ¨¨       .    @£¤=/-,,.,
.¨,=/*¤&¶#  ¨,  She Feeds¨On¨The Particles When,  - #¶&¤*/=,¨.
,,»;^¤¤¶##  ., They Hit Her Stretched Skin.    ¨  , ##¶¤¤^;»,,
¨.^~\^£#@@  ¨. And Behind,Here Is¨A Shadow, And   , @@#£^\~^.¨
..¨.=;^¤@#   ,In That Shadow.Is The Space Station.: #@¤^;=.¨..
..,,~~\%*£   .   .       ¨       ,    ,           : £*%\~~,,..
.¨¨,..»†=$   ,           .       .    ,     :       $=†»..,¨¨.
,¨.,..,~^^ A Month Later,.The Earth Is Still~Dark.  ^^~,..,.¨,
,¨,.,,.,«^  There'S No Contact,  ¨          :       ^«,.,,.,¨,
.,¨.,,,«^*    Maybe Some Shortwave And Shit,,       *^«,,,.¨,.
,,¨,¨:=\†£  -   Confirming That Some        ~       £†\=:¨,¨,,
,¨..,~:*%£  ,    Society'S Still There.             £%*:~,..¨,
¨,.~«†%@¤#  ,            .                          #¤@%†«~.,¨
..^»/*%#@#  ,     The Astronauts Are Unwell -       #@#%*/»^..
,.=;^§§@##        They Degenerate, In Weird         ##@§§^;=.,
.¨-=*^%#@@        Selkie-Induced Nursing Sleep,     @@#%^*=-¨.
¨..:«/**£#       To Keep Their Heartbeats Slow.     #£**/«:..¨
.¨¨¨,-\*%¤                                          ¤%*\-,¨¨¨.
¨.,.¨~=†=§                                          §=†=~¨.,.¨
.,¨....==$                                          $==....¨,.
¨¨¨¨¨,,~~;                                          ;~~,,¨¨¨¨¨
¨.¨,...~\^                                          ^\~...,¨.¨
,¨¨.¨,~^%§                                          §%^~,¨.¨¨,
..,.~-^*&£                                          £&*^-~.,..
¨..,»†$*£#                                          #£*$†»,..¨
..:~\§$&£#                                          #£&$§\~:..
,.«\%%@@##                                          ##@@%%\«.,