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