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