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