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