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