##@¶#%*:^¨ ¨^:*%#¶@##
##@&$$:»,. .,»:$$&@##
##£§*-»,,¨ ¨,,»-*§£##
##¶££^=«:¨ ¨:«=^££¶##
#$&§$*=~~¨ ¨~~=*$§&$#
¤#$^^:..¨¨ . ¨ ¨ ¨¨..:^^$#¤
#£@@%*†«,, ¨ ,,«†*%@@£#
#@##£*/=:, , , ,:=/*£##@#
@#@%^^,... $ 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, ¨,¨,¨~»†£#
@£$%§»-,¨, TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ,¨,-»§%$£@
£*†^†=-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-=†^†*£
####%$/~.. ..~/$%####
&$%\:^.¨¨. .¨¨.^:\%$&
##¶#%§:-:, ,:-:§%#¶##
@&¤/::¨.., ,..¨::/¤&@
§%†-~.¨¨,, ,,¨¨.~-†%§
##£§%%\=-¨ ¨-=\%%§£##
@£#&@†=-.¨ ¨.-=†@£@
##@#@&$~-. .-~$&@#@##
#£§^*~,,¨¨ ¨¨,,~*^§£#