¨,.,¨:~/^%                                          %^/~:¨,.,¨
.¨,¨:-;*@#                                          #@*;-:¨,¨.
¨¨.~~=†@&@                                          @&@†=~~.¨¨
,,^~=**###                                          ###**=~^,,
,--\*%§###                                          ###§%*\--,
¨.~=;%@§##    .              ¨                    . ##§@%;=~.¨
.,¨:=†=&#@          ¨                               @#&=†=:¨,.
¨,¨¨,=^*§# .                                ,       #§*^=,¨¨,¨
,.¨,..»^=%                %     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        ^       $**=-,.,..
,¨..,.-»=%  .    SOCIETY'S STILL THERE.             %=»-.,..¨,
¨¨¨.¨..--^  -            .                          ^--..¨.¨¨¨
.,¨,..,¨^=  ~     THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL -       =^¨,..,¨,.
.¨,¨,¨,..:        THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD         :..,¨,¨,¨.
.,,,.¨¨,-~        SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP,     ~-,¨¨.,,,.
¨.,.,,,-~†       TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW.     †~-,,,.,.¨
.,..¨¨.«/=                                          =/«.¨¨..,.
,.¨,¨:=:*¤                                          ¤*:=:¨,¨.,
¨,,.,-\%%#                                          #%%\-,.,,¨
.¨,,~†*%##                                          ##%*†~,,¨.
,¨^~=§%&##                                          ##&%§=~^¨,
¨,«*$£&###                                          ###&£$*«,¨
,.--†^£###                                          ###£^†--.,
.¨.~«;%%§@                                          @§%%;«~.¨.
¨,.,:«^§$¤                                          ¤$§^«:,.,¨
.,¨¨.,«:§¤                                          ¤§:«,.¨¨,.