§$~,¨.¨.¨, ,¨.¨.¨,~$§
#@@#§§†~~. .~~†§§#@@#
###§$*/~^. .^~/*$§###
#@#¤$††-.¨ ¨.-††$¤#@#
£§$*=.¨.,, ,,.¨.=*$§£
##@¤§=^-,, ¨ , ¨ ,,-^=§¤@##
@#£#%=/=-¨ . ¨-=/=%#£#@
##£#$%†«~¨ . ¨ ¨~«†%$#£##
##@§$§^-.. † TINY BLUE PURPLE ..-^§$§@##
@$£%%=*~,. - SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE . .,~*=%%£$@
@§%@£%=~:, 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 - ,.~^=$¤¶¶#
###@@=/~-. THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD .-~/=@@###
&@::,:,.,¨ SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, ¨,.,:,::@&
##@#¤%^-^. TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. .^-^%¤#@##
§*~:¨,.,,, ,,,.,¨:~*§
#£%†%=;=~¨ ¨~=;=%†%£#
¤¤*\»^,-., ,.-,^»\*¤¤
@§%*$†*-.¨ ¨.-*†$*%§@
@@@†:/=-~. .~-=/:†@@@
##¶#$$;~., ,.~;$$#¶##
#@£&$§/»,¨ ¨,»/§$&£@#
###¶*%*«,. .,«*%*¶###
#@&£*»~¨., ,.¨~»*£&@#
##@&£$;«^¨ ¨^«;$£&@##