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