.,«;$$§@@# #@@§$$;«,.
.,.»\^%&&£ £&&%^\».,.
.~=;§&&@ @#&&&§;=~.
.,-†*¤§¶@# #@¶§¤*†-,.
,.~†%*§¶## ##¶§*%†~.,
,..,=»^%@# , . , #@%^»=,..,
,-=\†£##@# ¨ #@##£†\=-,
,,:=«-%£#@ , . @#£%-«=:,,
,-~:%¤@### % 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,%$$§ ##&¤%*†~:,
..»†%*@¶@# #,.# #.A DARK GLIMMERING LASERDISC.#.# # #@¶@*%†»..
..~;†§§@## ¨¨ , ¨ , . .. . ##@§§†;~..
¨,«†$¤#@## ,. SHE FEEDS¨ON.THE PARTICLES WHEN, . ##@#¤$†«,¨
.,,«***=£# .¨ THEY HIT HER STRETCHED SKIN. ¨ - #£=***«,,.
.,=^†@@### .¨ AND BEHIND¨HERE IS,A SHADOW, AND ^ ###@@†^=,.
,.,.~-/:&@ .IN THAT SHADOW¨IS THE SPACE STATION.: @&:/-~.,.,
,,¨^-*$¤¤# . . , . . ^ #¤¤$*-^¨,,
¨:«=**&¶## , ¨ ¨ , : ##¶&**=«:¨
...,~;¤§§¶ A MONTH LATER,¨THE EARTH IS STILL~DARK. ¶§§¤;~,...
¨-*^@##### THERE'S NO CONTACT, . , #####@^*-¨
,:-^=%@### MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,~ ###@%=^-:,
,~»;%*§@## ^ CONFIRMING THAT SOME , ##@§*%;»~,
.,~\$£## , SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. ###&£$\~,.
.¨,¨~»††%# ^ . #%††»~¨,¨.
¨:«:^§§£## , THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - ##£§§^:«:¨
¨^=;^%=§§@ THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD @§§=%^;=^¨
,¨,,¨.^=%& SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, &%=^.¨,,¨,
¨,,«~%%¤$@ TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. @$¤%%~«,,¨
.,,.»«;^@@ @@^;«».,,.
¨-~/†$%#§@ @§#%$†/~-¨
.-~=$$## ###&$$=~-.
¨.,.^-=*@# #@*=-^.,.¨
.,,¨,-\%#@ @#%\-,¨,,.
¨^~^*§@### ###@§*^~^¨
,^«/*£@### ###@£*/«^,
,,-;%@#### ####@%;-,,
¨¨¨¨,.==%¤ ¤%==.,¨¨¨¨
¨.~,~»/*§# #§*/»~,~.¨