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