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,.,,¨,.¨,,     ^  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,,     *~^¨¨,,¨¨,
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¨,..¨.~**£                  SHE SAYS, "HELLO",      £**~.¨..,¨
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.,¨¨¨¨.:»:                 THERE'S A BURST          :»:.¨¨¨¨,.
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,,.¨.,,¨,¨ =     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,       § -^..¨,,¨,,
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,¨,,¨,«^%£    SHE SAYS "YOU WILL BE ALONE   #   @   £%^«,¨,,¨,
¨.,,:«;§%¤          ¤   FOR A WHILE". %    $        ¤%§;«:,,.¨
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,..-=$@&## §\£:@\¤;¤=&SPREADS HER MEMBRANES,;¤:£^§† ##&@$=-..,
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¨...¨¨--;%  ,,  SHE FEEDS,ON¨THE PARTICLES WHEN.  . %;--¨¨...¨
¨,¨.¨..^«†  .¨ THEY HIT HER STRETCHED SKIN.    ,  ^ †«^..¨.¨,¨
.¨¨¨,,.,,«  .¨ AND BEHIND,HERE IS,A SHADOW, AND   , «,,.,,¨¨¨.
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..¨,,¨,¨.¨   ¨           ¨       ,    .     ^       ¨.¨,¨,,¨..
...¨.¨.,¨. 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.     #@@§\=^,¨,
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