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