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