¨,~\**#### ####**\~,¨
,-~†=%¤### ###¤%=†~-,
¨¨...-==§& &§==-...¨¨
¨.~:$$@@@# #@@@$$:~.¨
,¨.,¨-~^†§ §†^~-¨,.¨,
¨...:;%%$@ , . , @$%%;:...¨
¨.-:$$§£@# . #@£§$$:-.¨
¨,.~»-%%¤# , . #¤%%-»~.,¨
.~~/=$#@@£ $ 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. §$*†,,¨¨,,
.:«:=%@### There'S No Contact, . ^ ###@%=:«:.
,,-/*&¤### Maybe Some Shortwave And Shit,. ###¤&*/-,,
.,-\%¤#### ~ Confirming That Some - ####¤%\-,.
¨,,~=†*#§@ , Society'S Still There. @§#*†=~,,¨
¨,,.,~†### ~ ¨ ###†~,.,,¨
.~-;%@*£@@ ~ The Astronauts Are Unwell - @@£*@%;-~.
¨-~**%¤¶## They Degenerate, In Weird ##¶¤%**~-¨
¨,~:=%§=¤@ Selkie-Induced Nursing Sleep, @¤=§%=:~,¨
.^-/=@#### To Keep Their Heartbeats Slow. ####@=/-^.
¨...¨¨,-^# #^-,¨¨...¨
,,~*$¤@@## ##@@¤$*~,,
,.¨..¨,»*@ @*»,¨..¨.,
,.~^¤¤¶### ###¶¤¤^~.,
¨,=:$§#@## ##@#§$:=,¨
.^~;$%@### ###@%$;~^.
¨,.,.^;£#¤ ¤#£;^.,.,¨
,.~=*$#¶## ##¶#$*=~.,
,,=†§$&£## ##£&$§†=,,
,,»*\$*§#£ £#§*$\*»,,