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