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