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