¨.,~~/§¤@# #@¤§/~~,.¨
..,«^%%£## ##£%%^«,..
.-=\^%@@## ##@@%^\=-.
¨,,~^%%### ###%%^~,,¨
¨.¨~«*†&@@ @@&†*«~¨.¨
.¨,,:-/$$¶ . , ¨ ¶$$/-:,,¨.
,¨.~-/*&¶@ . @¶&*/-~.¨,
.¨.~†=$¶## ¨ ¨ ##¶$=†~.¨.
,~~;†$#### % TINY BLUE PURPLE ####$†;~~,
,.,«:*¤@@# , 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, ##@%=\~,¨,
.~»†=$@### TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ###@$=†»~.
.¨,~;^$@## ##@$^;~,¨.
¨.,:~/†@ @#&†/~:,.¨
,..,^~*%%@ @%%*~^,..,
,,.~=;^# ##&^;=~.,,
,,^~==$### ###$==~^,,
¨~»=*%£### ###£%*=»~¨
¨,~»\*¤### ###¤*\»~,¨
¨,¨^»=†%¶# #¶%†=»^¨,¨
..¨.,»^%££ ££%^»,.¨..
,,¨:»^=%@# #@%=^»:¨,,