.¨,¨¨.¨.,~ ~,.¨.¨¨,¨.
,¨,¨..¨.»; ;».¨..¨,¨,
¨,,.¨,^~=§ §=~^,¨.,,¨
.¨¨,.^~†%§ §%†~^.,¨¨.
..¨¨,-;*%@ @%*;-,¨¨..
,.¨,==%%¤@ . . , @¤%%==,¨.,
¨,:~*=¤# , ##&¤=*~:,¨
,-~\$¤££## , . ##££¤$\~-,
,.--*%£§¶# * TINY BLUE PURPLE #¶§£%*--.,
¨,.,~=^&¤@ , SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE . @¤&^=~,.,¨
,,¨,~-=§£& HOVERING IN ORBIT AROUND= &£§=-~,¨,,
¨.,,,:=*** THE EARTH, SPINNING, CHASING. ***=:,,,.¨
¨,.,,,-~^$ - . $^~-,,,.,¨
,¨¨...,.«^ LOOKS AT THE SUN WITH LASER EYES, ^«.,...¨¨,
¨.¨,.¨,,-= LOOKS AT THE EARTH'S POWER GRID,, =-,,¨.,¨.¨
..,..¨.... , . ¨ ....¨..,..
.¨,,..,¨:= SAYS "HMM...." » =:¨,..,,¨.
.¨¨¨,,,.=; . ;=.,,,¨¨¨.
.,.,,¨:-=% * . %=-:¨,,.,.
¨¨¨..-~:*$ . . $*:~-..¨¨¨
,,,¨^~:%£# SHE SWIMS TOWARD THE ISS. #£%:~^¨,,,
,¨,:~:%¤#¶ MATCHES VELOCITY, PHASES THROUGH THE ¶#¤%:~:,¨,
,,.«/§$£#@ 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. ~.¨¨¨,¨¨.¨
...¨¨.¨¨,: :,¨¨.¨¨...
..,.,..¨,~ ~,¨..,.,..
.,.¨.¨¨,~; ;~,¨¨.¨.,.
¨,¨,,,^=:* *:=^,,,¨,¨
.,¨,..~/§§ §§/~..,¨,.
¨¨.¨~~*^£@ @£^*~~¨.¨¨
,,,^~*$&§# #§&$*~^,,,
.¨,»†^*##@ @##*^†»,¨.
,.~††£&@@# #@@&£††~.,
,¨:=*$£¤£@ @£¤£$*=:¨,