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