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