###&%%\~:¨ ¨:~\%%##
#£@$^*~,.¨ ¨.,~*^$@£#
¶&*^†=~,.. ..,~=†^*&¶
&§%;~~..,, ,,..~~;%§&
£¤$†/~.,., ,.,.~/†$¤£
#£#@%†»-¨¨ ¨ , ¨ ¨¨-»†%@#£#
###¤*†^-,. . .,-^†*¤###
#@§$§*=,¨. , , .¨,=*§$§@#
@§£$\«,,,. = TINY BLUE PURPLE .,,,«\$£§@
#&%*~^¨¨.. - SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE . ..¨¨^~*%
¶@%†\~^.¨. HOVERING IN ORBIT AROUND- .¨.^~\†%@¶
##@£=:~^., THE EARTH, SPINNING, CHASING. ,.^~:=£@##
##£§$††~:¨ ~ , ¨:~††$§£##
#¶§&%:=,¨¨ LOOKS AT THE SUN WITH LASER EYES, ¨¨,=:%&§¶#
#&$%=~^,¨¨ 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. .,,,~††@
§%%==:¨.,¨ ¨,.¨:==%%§
¶§@*\~.,¨. .¨,.~\*@§¶
#¶§%=†~~.. ..~~†=%§¶#
##@£%%^«^. .^«^%%£@##
#¶§£§:«:¨¨ ¨¨:«:§£§¶#
#¤§††~~¨¨, ,¨¨~~††§¤#
££*=«,..,, ,,..,«=*££
#¤&$*«,.¨¨ ¨¨.,«*$&¤#
##@&*:-:.¨ ¨.:-:*&@##
##@¤£%:«^¨ ¨^«:%£¤@##